Sins of the Children
by JD Leven
Summary: A story of the future of the Justice League, built around my own version of the Helena Wayne Huntress, who is the daughter of Batman and Wonder Woman here. The previously established characters Nightstar and Warhawk also figure prominently.
1. Chapter 1: Crippled Robin

**Justice League:Sins of the Children**

**Chapter 1**

Vinnie paced around against the wall of the warehouse. After ten years in the slammer he was seeing his first criminal action and he was quite nervous about it. Louie, an old cellmate of his had helped him get in with a new arms dealer in Gotham. The guy dealt in advanced weapons that were copied from the technology of another dimension. Vinnie found everything the dealer had amazing. It was all certainly a lot different from what he had to work with when he had been on the street previously.

Vinnie looked down at the weapon in his hand. He felt uncomfortable wielding it. They hadn't let him test fire the thing at all and he wondered how well he could aim it. Everyone told him it had no recoil, but he would have loved to have tried it out and seen whether or not that was true.

He watched the dealer he was working for make his sales pitch to several of the gang leaders that had come to buy weapons. His boss was going over several things his friends had gone over with him just hours before. He was pointing out the intense firepower the weapon had, including its ability to blow holes into walls. It was all talk though, there were no demonstrations.

His boss's description of the weapon made Vinnie scared about what he was holding. He was afraid the reactor inside it, or whatever its power source was, would blow up on him at any moment. He kept his hand far away from the trigger so he wouldn't accidentally fire it.

His friend Louie came over to talk to him as he watched the deal being made. "You look scared holding that thing," his friend said to him.

"Of course I'm scared holding this," he replied. "I have a weapon with enough firepower to destroy the city."

"It's not that powerful, so stop looking scared," Louie replied. "Our job is to fire on the gang leaders if they try to steal the merchandise and bust their way out of here. If you look scared, they might think you won't be able to do your job, and that might tempt them to actually try something."

Vinnie tried to toughen up and stop looking scared. He glanced over at his friend to see how he looked and noticed Louie was looking all around the warehouse instead of watching the gang leaders. He wondered what the guy was doing.

"What are you looking for?" he asked Louie.

"I'm keeping my eyes peeled for Batman," he told Vinnie. "He has a tendency to appear out of nowhere."

"Yeah, I know how he works," Vinnie replied. He wasn't joking when he said he knew Batman's M.O. He had gone to jail after Batman had captured him.

Louie chuckled for a moment at what Vinnie said. "I guess you would know all about being caught by Batman."

"I would," Vinnie affirmed. "I'm not too afraid of him now, though. He's got to be what, in his fifties. He was getting slow back when he caught me, and he has only aged since then."

"I haven't seen him recently, but I've heard others say he's not what he used to be," Louie replied. "But you've been in the slammer since he got his new Robin. She's supposed to be a superhuman, picks up his slack real well from what they say."

Vinnie had heard a few stories about this new Robin when he was in prison. She was supposed to have started with Batman six years ago. According to what he heard, she looked to be all of twelve years old at that time. Any inmates who got caught by her had a hard time talking about her and admitting they had been beat by a tween girl. Vinnie always wondered if that was how the rumors of her being superhuman started. While Batman was a member of the Justice League with all its superhumans, Gotham had always had vigilantes who had no powers but their gumption. A superhuman in Gotham just seemed out of place.

Vinnine heard some yelling and looked at his boss arguing with the mobsters. One of the Russian's was yelling something about wanting an exclusive agreement with him so only his force would have the weapons. Louie raised his gun ready to fire if necessary. Vinnie did the same even though the weapon was shaking in his hand.

A roaring sound rang out in the warehouse. The sound came from the roof and Vinnie looked up to see a huge hole had been torn in the metal structure. He saw Batman fall through the hole. The superhero looked a bit different from the image Vinnie had of him. In Vinnie's day, the vigilante had worn a black and gray costume with a cowl that left the lower half of his face visible. He now had on a slightly different variation of it. The suit he was wearing was one single color, jet black. It covered every inch of his skin, including his face. There was a large red bat insignia on his chest and the cape was gone. As he fell, he threw things out from his utility belt.

He was followed through the hole in the roof by Robin. It was the first time Vinnie had ever laid eyes on the girl and while he should have been raising his gun to attack her, he was momentarily frozen. For a split second he was mesmerized by the beauty of the young woman. She was clearly no longer the twelve year old he had first heard about. She was a tall woman and with her legs bare she was just showing off how high up they went. Most of her head was covered by a bandana that had eye holes cut out of it, with her long black hair fluttering out. It was obvious to Vinnie she must have been gorgeous underneath it.

Vinnie was broken out of his trance by a Batarang hitting his gun. Robin had thrown it so hard it tore all the way through the barrel. It stopped right before it hit the fingers he had wrapped around the gun. Vinnie looked up at Robin, but she had momentarily turned her attentions away from him. Batman had thrown Batarangs at the men on the other side of the warehouse, but some of them had missed their mark. Robin covered for him and threw Batarangs that tore through the weapons they were holding.

The gang leaders at the center where the two superheroes landed tried to take out their weapons to defend themselves. They didn't get a chance as Batman and Robin turned their attention on them quickly. Robin quickly took out each man who tried to fight her. Batman, on the other hand, needed several punches to knock out each man he attacked.

Vinnie saw the carnage before him and immediately ran for the exit after dropping his worthless weapon. Louie followed him and the two henchmen on the other side of the warehouse did the same. When Robin saw their attempted escape she leapt high in the air and came down on the two henchmen opposite Vinnie and Louie. She knocked them out with ease and then leaped in Vinnie and Louie's direction. She made a big roundhouse kick and knocked out Louie. She then swung her leg at Vinnie and he was able to maneuver his shoulder so it took the brunt of the blow. The kick caused him to feel a level of pain he had never felt before, but he was able to stay silent. He hit the ground and pretended to be unconscious. He kept one eye open so he could see what was happening, though.

Batman was struggling with the group of men he had taken on. Robin jumped over to him and started taking out everybody one by one. There were soon just two men left, one who was wrestling with Batman and one who tried to run away from Robin. He didn't make it far as Robin jumped over and knocked him out with a kick before she landed on the ground.

While Batman was finishing up with his man, Vinnie noticed something reflecting light from behind a stack of crates. He saw a gun barrel coming out between two boxes, aimed right at Batman.

Robin saw it and screamed out as she jumped in front of Batman. Vinnie couldn't be sure, but he thought she yelled out "Dad" when she screamed. The laser blast hit her in the back and she howled in pain and slumped into Batman. Vinnie was amazed that the blast didn't completely disintegrate the superhero.

The laser kept firing and blasts kept hitting Robin in the back. Batman threw a Batarang at the gun. It stuck in the barrel and the thing blew, taking out the boxes around it and apparently killing the henchman. When the blasts stopped hitting her Robin collapsed to the ground.

Vinnie was astounded she was still alive. The laser should have disintegrated her, although it did tear up her back pretty well. Her costume had been torn to shreds and Vinnie could see her bare back. It was burned and blackened. She was wincing in pain as Batman knelt down to tend to her. He said something to her that Vinnie couldn't make out. She nodded her head and then he helped her to her feet. He fired a grappling hook at the ceiling and the two of them were pulled up. They disappeared through the hole in the roof they had put there a minute earlier.

J'onn J'onnz looked over the monitors at the control center. From the looks of things, the League was having a quiet night. J'onn had a second to stare out the glass dome of the control room and admire the landscape of the moon and the view of Earth in the background.

"You can go and enjoy yourself," he heard Diana say behind him. "I'm relieving you of duty a little early."

"You really don't have to do that, Diana. I can complete my shift."

Diana stood next to J'onn expecting him to get out of the way, but he didn't budge. "I know we've had this conversation before, but you really spend too much time at that console," Diana told him. It's been a long time since you've really gotten out. I'm worried you might have forgotten again what it's like to live."

Diana had made a big point of this with him almost two decades ago. She had just gotten married and wanted everyone to experience the same joy she had. He had reluctantly listened to her advice and was glad he had done so. He had found a relationship with an older woman he felt a connection with. She helped him learn about human relationships and he took care of her as she grew old and weak. Since she died he had gone back to his life of isolation, though he didn't see it that way.

J'onn knew there was some truth to what Diana said, but he felt she needed to be reminded that she should follow her own advice. "You should get out more too," he began. "After all, you've haven't been on a date since you and. . ."

J'onn didn't need to see Diana or read her mind to know he had said the wrong thing. An icy chill emanated from her body and forced him to shut up. He wanted to transform to a snake and slink away, but knew that would look bad. As he was thinking about what to do he was saved by the voice of Batman coming through the speaker.

"J'onn, this is Batman. I need some information on how to handle a particular wound. Tell me what to do for being hit by a class 6 blaster from Apokolips."

"Technically, I'm still on duty," J'onn tried to tell Diana as he reached for the TALK button to reply to Batman. He was thrown from his spot by Diana. He flew halfway across the command center before he righted himself. He flew back to the monitor station so he could make sure Diana didn't destroy anything in anger.

"What happened to Helena?" she screamed into the microphone. Everyone else in the command room stopped what they were doing and looked in her direction.

There was a pause before anything came through the speaker. "It's not that bad, Mom," Helena tried to plead. From the strain in her voice it was obvious she was in a good amount of pain.

"Are you guys in the Batcave?" she asked them.

"We're flying in right now," Helena answered. She was trying to protect her father by answering all of her mother's questions.

"Do you have any clay from Themyscira left?" she asked.

"Probably not enough," Helena answered. Her voice was quavering from the pain.

Diana flew to the transporter platform. "Beam me to Themyscira," she commanded J'onn to do. He was all too happy to do so as he didn't want to face her wrath.

When she was gone he looked around at all the heroes who had their eyes fixated on him. "We might want to get a room ready in the hospital ward," he announced.

"Do you think they will have to bring Helena up here?" Starwoman asked him.

"Helena isn't the one I'm worried about," he confessed.

"Honestly, I can't understand what you guys were thinking," Diana said as she rubbed the clay from Themyscira onto her daughter's back. "Your father was just going to leave you here in pain while he took the Batwing to Themyscira to get some more. All so it would take me a little longer to find out what had happened."

Helena winced as her mother worked the clay into her burned skin. Her mother shared a connection with the island of Themyscira. Part of that connection was the clay of the island had the ability to heal her. It was a trait she had passed on to her daughter.

It was a little difficult for Helena to talk, but she had to answer her mother. "It wouldn't have taken Dad long. The short time I would have had to deal with the pain would not have been as bad as the unpleasantness I'm going through now."

Helena's back looked horrific, and it hurt Diana to hear her daughter would have rather put up with that pain then deal with her mother. She tried to put the thought out of her head. In just a few minutes of applying the clay Diana could already see some improvement.

"Knock knock," Diana heard Alfred say from the other side of the tent. The tent the two woman were in had been set up in the Batcave ten years ago as a hospital room when Bruce started suffering more injuries. It was nearly a fully equipped hospital by itself. All of the equipment was pushed to the sides as Helena didn't need any of it.

"You can come in here," Helena told him. She was wearing nothing but the hot pants of her costume, but with lying on her stomach on the hospital bed, she wasn't exactly showing anything. Even if she had been showing something she wouldn't have thought much of an old man like Alfred seeing anything.

Alfred walked in with a dress shirt and stuck it on one of the pieces of unused equipment. "I brought down one of Connor's dress shirts that was in your closet, Miss Helena," he said to her. "It should be loose fitting enough so as to not bother the clay. Is there any food or beverage I can prepare for you?" he said to Helena.

"I don't really think I could eat or drink anything," Helena answered. There was still a strain in her voice from the pain.

"What about you, Miss Diana?" he asked Wonder Woman.

"No thanks, Alfred," she replied. She was amazed how Alfred still got around for being a man in his nineties. He never retired as he claimed he would never know what to do with himself.

"I am sure Miss Helena is aware she has a charity fashion show tomorrow where she is scheduled to model such clothes as a backless dress," Alfred reminded them. The fashion show wasn't exactly trivial as Helena needed to take part in such events to keep up the secret identity of a rich heiress. Just as her father kept up the image of a playboy lifestyle to prevent the public from thinking he could ever be a superhero, Helena took on the image of a spoiled heiress who only cared about partying and clubbing.

"I'll be fine by tomorrow morning," Helena replied. The strain in her voice was disappearing as the clay's healing effects started to work. She tried to close her eyes and relax and let the clay do its thing.

"Your bed is prepared for you," Alfred said to her right before he left. Helena had wished he would have stayed around as she thought with his presence her mother might go a little easier in her questioning.

"I'm done," she announced with a tone of anger. Helena sat up with little pain. Diana handed her the dress shirt and she put it on. As Alfred said, it was loose fitting enough that it didn't cause her any discomfort.

The shirt belonged to her boyfriend Connor Queen, the oldest child of Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance. He was currently acting as his father's sidekick, Speedy, but was slated to take over the Green Arrow mantle any day now. They had been together since they were tweens, and while they were not officially engaged, they both knew they were going to be married to each other one day. They both wanted to be established in their line of "work" before they married, though.

"Would you mind telling me how this happened?" her mother asked her as Helena buttoned up her shirt. This was what she had been dreading.

"We took on some thugs with advanced weaponry and I got hit," she replied. "There's nothing more to it than that."

"So what, someone snuck up on without you noticing and lit up your back?" Her mother had her arms crossed in a pose of skepticism. She was glaring at Helena and trying to look stern.

Helena wasn't happy with this line of questioning and knew exactly where her mother was trying to lead her. She understood the truth would save a lot of hassle and quicken the end of this grating conversation.

"Dad found himself with a gun pointed at him. I rushed to block him and took a couple good hits in the back. It had nothing to do with the fact. . ."

"That your father's old and slowing down," Diana finished her daughter's sentence for her.

"There was a henchman hidden from view," Helena protested. "It could have happened to anyone."

"What was your father doing that caused him to miss this?" Diana asked.

"He was tussling with someone," Helena answered, almost inaudible. "He had trouble taking them down.

"Just as I thought," Diana said. "He's slowed down and he is only going to get worse."

Both women were trying hard to keep their voices down so Bruce couldn't hear. He was sitting at the Batcomputer and there was only the sheet and a short distance separating them from him. Neither wanted him to know they were talking about him, even though they were both sure he knew they were talking about him.

"Well if you want to tell him to give it up, he's right outside. You can go and force him to retire. Maybe you could even break one of his legs to help force him to quit."

Helena knew her mother had no real gumption to tell her father to quit. She often pushed Helena to try and do it, like she was now. It was all a passive-aggressive way to get done what she was unwilling to do herself.

"I'll talk with him later," Diana tried to assure her. "Now's not a good time." Helena believed her mother wasn't exactly being truthful, but was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"I'm sorry if I said anything to upset you," Diana confessed to her daughter. "I just worry about the two of you."

"I know Mom," Helena replied.

Diana embraced her daughter as she said good-bye. She walked out of the tent and flew out of the Batcave through the same hole that Bruce had fallen through as a child when he discovered the cave.

With her mother gone Helena walked out to see what her father was doing. He seemed completely lost in his work at the Batcomputer. As she walked up to him she wondered if he heard her at all.

"Did your mother work her magic?" he asked her, indicating he wasn't so out of it he couldn't sense her.

"Yeah, I'm going to be fine. There won't be a mark on me in the morning."

"Good," he replied. "You need to look normal for the fashion show tomorrow. You need to keep up appearances if our secret identities are going to remain secret. You can't give any indication you were out busting criminals."

Helena rolled her eyes at what her father told her. He was talking as if she was completely new at this. She didn't need any reminders on how to act as a civilian. What really got to Helena was with this event she wasn't going to have to work so hard at her cover. The show was organized by Dinah Queen, Connor's mother. Olivia, Connor's sister and Helena's good friend, was in the show as well. The two of them always watched out for each other, along with her BFF Maril Grayson, the daughter of her father's former protégé. Maril had been scheduled to be in the show, but she was currently on Tamaran seeing her boyfriend off as he took a trip to Thanagar.

Helena finally looked at what her father was working on and saw he had taken the gun apart and placed all the pieces on the computer's scanners. He was looking over every detail of the guns they had confiscated. The only thing he wasn't paying attention to were the gun grips, which were all laid out on a table behind him. To Helena, they all looked identical. She picked one up and started inspecting it.

"These guns are well constructed," her father told her. "A lot of the knock-offs of Apokolips weapons are sloppy and barely work, but these are almost flawless clones. They were made to pack quite a punch."

"They certainly were," Helena remarked in reference to the pounding she had taken from one of them.

"You wouldn't have been hit if you had used a Batarang to destroy the gun instead of using yourself as a shield," her father said to her.

Her father was always critiquing her abilities with out of the blue statements like that. Helena was so mad at being chastised for what she did she squeezed the grip in her hand and crushed it. "I didn't fire a Batarang because the gun was between two boxes and I didn't have a clear shot."

"The shot you had wasn't any worse than what I had, and I made it," he reminded her.

She couldn't believe what her father was saying to her considering how slow he had become and how that was the reason she ended up in the situation he was referencing. In a short time Helena had been chastised by both her mother and father and she didn't feel like taking any more. "I'm going to bed," she said as she threw the crushed gun grip to the ground. She began to storm off but halted when her father told her to wait.

"You didn't give me a chance to say thanks," he said in a truly heartfelt voice. "I would be dead if it wasn't for you."

Her old man could ride her like no one else, but it was just the way he tried to train her and prepare her to survive anything. Thanking her was the highest praise she could have received, the first Robin could have readily attested to that.

Her father kept his attention engrossed in his work as she walked up behind him. She put one arm around his neck and pushed her long hair back with the other as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. He stayed unmoved as she did it.

"I'm going to bed to get some sleep, which you should to. You have a board meeting in the morning. Remember, if we lose too much money we won't be able to afford things like the scanner you're using right now. I love you," she said as she gave him another kiss before she headed up the stairs to the Manor.


	2. Chapter 2: Ancient History

**Chapter 2**

Diana flew over the ocean as she thought about what she should do. She had left J'onn to pull a double shift on monitor duty and felt bad about it; even though she knew he would think nothing of it. There wasn't much time left on her shift and she wondered if she should bother going back up there or stay on Earth and patrol.

She had flown around aimlessly thinking about her husband and daughter. The first thoughts she had about them was how weird it was she still called Bruce her husband and not her ex-husband. They had never called their marriage officially over; because that would mean they failed at it, and failure was something they both had trouble admitting to.

Diana didn't want to admit her marriage was over because she felt like a failure for not being able to stay with Bruce for their daughter's sake. Despite their separation, Helena turned out better then Diana could have ever hoped. While Diana had her worries about her daughter, she knew the girl could take care of herself just fine. Bruce was the one she had to worry about. He could be reckless and stupid. These were traits of his she failed to recognize when she first met him. When they first met she had an idyllic view of him because he was so starkly different from the view of men she had at that time.

Diana had been born twenty five hundred years earlier, the eldest child of the king and queen of a Greek city state. She had a sister, Donna, who was three years younger than her and a brother, Arias, who was five years younger than her. For the first eight years of her childhood her city lived in peace. It found itself at war due to the evil ambitions of a pathetic little man who wished to rule all of Greece. The ambitions of this man were fueled by Ares, the God of War, who enjoyed seeing the mortals fight with hatred and die in violence. When his army approached Diana's city her father raised an army composed of every able bodied man in the city.

Her mother, Hippolyta, prayed to the gods to help their army and save them from the invading force. None of them listened as their army was soundly defeated; with Diana's father killed when he tried to surrender. As the invading force marched on the city to enjoy the spoils of war, Diana's mother made one last plea to the gods. This time, Aphrodite listened. She offered herself to Ares in exchange for the city being left alone. He relented and commanded his puppet king to halt. The king did so, but made one request; he wanted every male in the city handed over to him. To the queen, this request was puzzling, as only the young, old, and infirmed were left. The king understood the gods better than she did, and knew one day the truce between Ares and Aphrodite would fall apart. When it did he knew a city with no males would easily be defeated.

Even without knowing what the king was up to, the queen refused the request, but her father stepped forward and accepted it. He told the other old and feeble males it was there duty to sacrifice themselves for the good of their wives and daughters. What he told them was a lie. He knew the king was really after the young boys who would one day grow into warriors. He realized handing them over to the king was the only thing preventing them from being slaughtered on the spot. Under his urging, everyone relented. Diana couldn't, though. She held on to her brother so he wouldn't be taken. He was ripped out of her arms and carried away. She ran after the soldier who had him, pleading with him to give him back as she cried harder than she ever had in her life. Her mother grabbed her and stopped her from running after the soldier.

The surrender of all the men of the city scarred the women in ways they could never begin to comprehend. They came up with countless rationalizations for why it was the right thing to hand over all their men and boys. Many of their rationalizations involved the inherent depravity and warrior nature of males.

The women left behind had to take over the jobs the males had done. The adults took over the jobs that had been done by their husbands and sons. Meanwhile, the young among them were told by the queen to prepare for the day when the agreement the puppet of Ares made would be forgotten and tossed aside. She belatedly realized he would be back to conquer them completely one day, as that was what men of his ilk were determined to do.

The women knew little about fighting. All they knew about fighting techniques came from watching the men. What they did know, however, was how to raise soldiers. They started raising their girls with the same expectations and discipline that their brothers had been given. They were made to fend for themselves at times. They sparred daily, fighting with an intensity few men of Greece could match. They learned fighting techniques through trial and error. As the years passed, their skills became honed. They became one of the finest fighting forces in all of the land.

Fifteen years after the Army of Ares had left, their scouts spotted them returning. When the queen heard the news she held a tournament among the warriors to select a champion who would lead them into battle. Diana won the tournament and was appointed general of the forces.

The battle with the invading force was fierce. Many of the women were shocked to find themselves facing off against their brothers and former childhood friends. The women seemed less fazed by this then the men themselves.

Diana was the most ferocious fighter of them all. She tore down one wave of soldiers after another. She was unfazed until she found herself faced off against her brother. He was unfazed by the fact he was going up against his sister and attacked her with all his strength. She held her own against him and soon was able to subdue him and knock his sword out of his hand. She had mercy on him and let him run away to safety.

They repelled the invasion, but found little to celebrate. Diana found out her sister had been killed in the battle. She cursed her brother and all the old friends of hers who fought against them. She had refrained from seeing men in the same way the others had come to, but her attitude was beginning to change.

Ares was furious at Aphrodite for what had transpired. He believed she had given the women some kind of power behind his back. Of course, the fact that his minions had disobeyed the agreement didn't matter to him at all. He was determined to see the city destroyed and every woman killed. He decided to lead the army himself, and took a mortal form for a day in order to do so. With him at its head the army attacked again and this time was much more successful. The ferocity was enormous on both sides and one warrior after another fell.

This time both sides ended up slaughtered, including Diana's brother. In the end, only she and Ares were left. The two of them squared off and Diana bested him. Just as she was about to kill him he made a plea to Zeus to save his life. The hand of Zeus stopped Diana. While he did not want Ares killed, he was still very angry at him for the way he had played with the mortals. Ares was imprisoned. Meanwhile, the women of Diana's city were given their lives back and were given a home where they would never be bothered by the wars of men.

The island they were given was the paradise of the gods. The Amazons, as they now called themselves, would dub it Themyscira, after the city they had all grown up in. Hippolyta kept the crown of queen.

Zeus felt like he owed much to the Amazons for the suffering they endured at the hands of Ares. Since they had all experienced the horrors of death already, he made them immortal. While old age and disease wouldn't kill them, they could still die by injury. However, that was rendered improbable by the super strength and the near invulnerability he granted them.

Despite the fact she did not experience death, Diana was granted immortality as well. This was done as she was given the role of the protector of the island. Besides being granted immortality, super strength, and near invulnerability; Diana was also granted super agility and flight by the gods. They also gave her several magic items such as the Lasso of Truth and indestructible bracelets. Finally, she was given a special physical connection to the island that would allow her to heal whenever she became injured.

For over two millennia, the Amazons lived in isolation from the rest of the world. They had a mirror that allowed them to see the events of the world of men. They saw the constant war men engaged in, and every day they were glad they were no longer part of that world.

For most of their history, they were undisturbed. Everything changed one day when a plane crashed on the beach. As protector of the island, Diana was the first to inspect the crash site. She found the plane's female pilot near death. Diana didn't know what to say to her, so she simply asked the woman to explain what she was doing. She told Diana she was transporting the bomber so it could aide her country in the war it was currently fighting. Diana asked her to tell her a little about the war and she began to tell Diana about the evil that they were fighting.

When the woman died, Diana felt an urge to do something about the war. The pilot had described to her a war unlike any other, and Diana knew a lot of innocent people were being harmed in it. She knew with the gifts the gods had given her she could go out and do a lot of good. She took this idea to her mother, who refused to give her permission. She pointed out Diana would not be successful. She believed many of the people Diana would try to help would be distrustful of her.

Dejected, Diana went back to the plane to see if there was anything she could find that would help her identify herself as a friend to those she wished to help. She found a flag for the nation the woman served. She presented the idea to her mother that if she could make a costume out of it; she would be seen as a friend of that nation and would be trusted. Her mother liked the idea, and let her go out into man's world to help the innocent civilians once she had made the costume.

For several years Diana worked to save any innocent civilians who found themselves in the path of war. She was forbidden from doing anything more than saving those in immediate danger. She didn't mind the restriction, as she had no desire to fight someone else's war.

When the war ended, she stayed grounded on Themyscira. She was pleased to see that the world around them remained relatively peaceful. There were no full blown wars, but she was troubled by a new development she started witnessing. She saw wars, but instead of being fought by one army against another they were fought by lone individuals against unarmed citizens. In man's world this new form of war was called terrorism.

One day she was looking at the mirror and saw a ship had been hijacked by terrorists. The ship was nearby and she thought she could help the innocents aboard. She could no longer sit by and just watch.

She grabbed her old costume and put it on. When she flew out to the ship she was shocked to find one of the passengers was in the middle of taking out the terrorists himself. She offered him her assistance and he told her to take out the terrorists on deck while he went below deck to defuse the bomb they had.

While Diana was impressed by the man's abilities, her old biases prevented her from believing he could do much more than fight. She told him she would take care of the bomb and headed below deck before he could do anything. She found the bomb and thought she could carry it away to safety, but the second she picked it up, the thing blew.

The blast was so powerful it tore the ship in two. Diana was thrown a great distance from it. When she righted herself and looked down she could see that most of the passengers were safe as they had abandoned the ship on lifeboats when the man started fighting the terrorists. She was worried about that man, as he would have been stuck on board.

She found him floating in the water, clinging to a piece of debris. He was weak and injured, but not close to death at all. She took him back to Themyscira so he could heal there. She had to keep him hidden, of course, as no men were allowed to set foot on the island.

She found out much about the man as she nursed him back to health. She found out his name was Bruce, and that he was on a quest to turn himself into a hero. He told her all the plans he had for eradicating crime in his hometown. She was impressed by his resolve. He became the first man in over two millennia to earn her genuine respect. When he was healthy, she took him back to man's world and told him if he ever needed her help, she would give it without question.

She had a feeling he would one day take her up on the offer. Several years after he left, a plane shaped like a bat appeared in the sky. She knew immediately it was Bruce. All the other Amazons saw it as well, and they all rushed to the landing site. Bruce was dressed as Batman, but took his cowl off so Diana could see it was him. The others were furious a man was invading their space, but Bruce was unfazed by it. He ignored the others and spoke directly to her. He told her a year before; he had allied with another super powered being and had worked with him on several occasions. They were now facing a dire threat as there were three super villains with the same power as this Superman. They had this Superman and his sister to face off against them, but they needed Diana to even the odds. She didn't hesitate to leave the island and help him.

The heroes were successful, and the whole world came to love and respect the three of them and their sidekicks. Diana wished to spend more time in man's world, and operated as a full time super hero. She worked closely with both Bruce and Clark, as she needed them to teach her about man's world. She ended up working with Bruce more than Clark as he would often need super powered help.

Working with Bruce, Diana found herself deveoping feelings for him. She was confused by them, as she had never felt romantic love like that before. They each made small steps to form a relationship that finally blossomed when Dick set out on his own and Bruce was looking for more companionship.

Diana and Bruce had not been together for long when he took in a new Robin. She knew Jason was likely trouble, but didn't say anything as she didn't want to interfere with Bruce and his personal super hero work. She took no solace in being right when Jason's recklessness got him killed. It was his death that motivated them to get married. They were both reminded that Bruce might not have too long on this Earth.

From the moment they got married, Diana had been angry with Bruce that he didn't learn the lessons from Jason's death she wanted him to. He was still reckless himself, despite being mortal and vulnerable. She thought the birth of their daughter would cause him to let up on the hero work. She thought he would want to make sure he would live to see their daughter grow. Diana was completely wrong, and she eventually left him as she couldn't stand to see him put himself in so much danger.

Diana suddenly noticed it was cold. She looked around to see ice all around her. While lost in thought, she had flown up north, near the pole. When she snapped out of her dreaming, she remembered she hadn't talked to J'onn and didn't want him to feel she was taking for granted the fact he would fill in for her. "J'onn, this is Diana. Do you need me to relieve you?" she asked.

"I'm okay," he replied. "I can cover the rest of your shift. You should just tend to your family."

Diana floated where she was for a while. She didn't leave Bruce and Helena on good terms, and it gnawed at her. She wanted to go back and spend some more time with them, but decided against it. She knew Superman's Fortress of Solitude wasn't far away, and decided to see if he was there.

Bruce watched the video from his cowl camera of the fight he had participated in that night. He watched it despite the fact he knew what it would show. It showed that he was slow and not nearly as strong as he used to be.

Bruce always found it weird to watch videos that gave a first person view. He had the video start at the beginning when Helena ripped open the roof of the warehouse. He saw the group of gangsters get closer as he fell to the floor. He had thrown Batarangs at the men with guns, but most of them had missed their mark. He could see Helena's Batarangs fly at their guns and slice them apart.

They both charged at the group in the center and when they reached them they started knocking them down. His initial punches landed strongly, but he tired quickly. The gang leaders were not good fighters and this aided him greatly. They failed to attach him all at once and this gave him the time to knock them out one at a time. It took a lot of punches to bring each one down.

Bruce listened closely to the sound and could hear Helena having much greater success. She soon came into his view as she joined him and took out three men at once. Bruce was tangling with one leader who was really putting up a fight. The camera caught Helena jumping chase after another leader. For the next several seconds the camera showed nothing but the face of Bruce's adversary as he laid punch after punch on his face. Bruce finally laid the knockout blow and the man fell to the ground. The camera view followed the man as he fell, but the sound of Helena screaming "Dad" forced him to look up. The camera caught Helena as she jumped in front of him and took the blasts from the gun that had been pointed them.

Bruce cringed as he watched what was on screen. He could hardly bare to keep his eye on it. The camera showed his hand firing a Batarang at the gun. When it hit the barrel it caused a huge explosion. Once the fireball from the explosion disappeared, everything was quiet. The only sound was Helena's whimpering as she lied on the ground in pain.

The view from the camera gave a clear view of Helena's injuries as Bruce had been shocked to move for a while after everything stopped. When Bruce saw his daughter's injuries once again he was horrified by what happened. He was even more horrified by the thought it had been his fault.

Helena appeared closer on camera as Bruce knelt down to tend to her. Bruce had to grip the arms of his chair as he looked at his daughter's burnt and blackened back. He heard himself ask her if she could make it to the Batwing. She nodded her head yes and he helped her to her feet.

Bruce pounded the stop button on the console and the screen went dark. He had to take a minute to catch his breath. The video had not been easy to watch.

Bruce kept thinking over and over how his invulnerable daughter had almost gotten killed trying to protect him. The thought kept running through his mind because he had trouble moving on to the fact she had needed to protect him because he was old and slow and could no longer do his job. As he thought about that fact, calm came over him. It was time for him to hang it up as the Batman.

Bruce thought back to his parents' death and the promise he had made to avenge them and to honor their memory by protecting Gotham. He had spent the next eighteen years of his life preparing to become a vigilante. He even traveled the globe to train better.

When he returned to Gotham he took up a superhero identity and started fighting crime. He soon found himself fighting the police as well, but once he took out the corrupt elements with the help of James Gordon, he earned a valuable ally. He would soon gain another ally when he took in Dick Grayson as his ward. It was not long before Dick would join him in his fight as his sidekick Robin.

Bruce had always thought he would have to fight alone, and it surprised him he was able to make the allies he did in Dick and Gordon. He soon thought about finding others who could aide him. On his journeys around the globe he had encountered two super powered beings, Clark and Diana. Bruce had come across Clark when they both helped villagers avoid the oncoming waters from a burst damn in China. Bruce had never gotten the man's name, but when he saw Superman he knew immediately it was this man.

Bruce had thought about tracking the man down and forming an alliance, but he didn't know how to do so. Fate would end up drawing the two men together. Bruce was investigating mob activity between Gotham and Metropolis. A reporter in Metropolis, Clark Kent, was doing a story on this mob's connections to the Mayor's office there. His wife, Lana Lang, was killed in an attempt to silence him. Bruce went to Metropolis and met this man as Batman to try and help him find the killers of his wife. Bruce would soon find out that Clark and Superman were one and the same. This would be the beginning of the long friendship between the two.

Bruce's time with Diana was something he thought about often. He had found her a strange, beautiful, and powerful woman. He always wondered if she would truly leave her home behind. He never went to fetch her as he knew she was unlikely to leave unless there was a good reason to. When Zod and his minions escaped from the Phantom Zone, Bruce knew they were going to need help. He retrieved her from the island and she helped them defeat the three.

Diana would stay in man's world as she saw the good she could do with Bruce and Clark. Bruce clicked with her as they shared a jaded view of the world. Diana was much more hopeful and optimistic, though.

Bruce's feelings for Diana had started when she nursed him back to health on Themyscira. He had always had trouble expressing how he felt about her. The two of them grew closer when they had to work together when a brainwashed Superman led an invasion of Earth. They suffered their greatest loss as Clark killed his sister, Kara, before he came out of the brainwashing. They tried to help Clark through his grieving, but found there was little they could say to him. The two of them found comfort in each other during that time, and started a relationship.

Another death would form the impetuous for them to get married. The death of Jason Todd drove Bruce to marry Diana. They were not married long before Diana found out she was pregnant. The news had led Bruce to experience a joy he had not believed was possible. He was going to have a family.

The loss of his parents had always made Bruce fearful to love. He had always worried about having children because he had always worried how he could honor his pledge to his parents and still be a father. He had also been worried about his children being hurt by his enemies.

One of the reasons he had been attracted to Diana was the fact she was nearly invulnerable. It made the relationship safe for him. He took comfort in the fact their child would have the same attribute. He thought he would never have to worry about her.

The day Helena was born was the same day that Clark died at the hands of Doomsday. Seeing his invulnerable friend dead had really shaken him. He was scared for his daughter now in the same manner he would have been for a normal child. The only thing that gave him comfort was the thought he could train her, and teach her so well no one would ever be able to hurt her or kill her.

Bruce had been able to see parts of Clark's fight with the monster. During the fight he was reminded of something he had noticed before; the super powered heroes didn't know how to fight properly. Heroes like Clark and Diana had been super powered most of their lives. They never faced too many adversaries who tested them physically. They never had the need to learn to fight that he did. Bruce wanted things to be different with Helena. He wanted to teach her all the techniques he knew. The only problem he had was he didn't know how he would be able to convince Helena her life would depend on how she trained. It had taken him years to learn everything he had and he knew no one else could learn the same things without the same commitment.

When Diana took Helena away from him, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It broke his heart to be separated from his daughter. When Helena was a child, he certainly didn't have the relationship with her he wanted. The two of them were awkward around each other. Despite their emotional distance, Helena always wanted to impress him. It was a desire that had grown out of their separation. When she finally came to live with him as a tween he took advantage of that desire. He pushed her to learn everything he had to teach her. She worked like none of his other sidekicks did. He was proud of her beyond belief.

It was time now for her to protect this city on her own. Bruce let out a long sigh of relief. He had done everything he could to protect the city himself, and now Helena was going to take over his pledge. In a way, she was the culmination of his life's work.

Clark stared at Kara in the crystal coffin. He was once again reminded of how much she looked like Sleeping Beauty in there. He looked at the Kryptonian numbers on the countdown clock; they said that she had six years until she was to wake.

When he had fought Doomsday, everyone believed he had died fighting the beast. It would turn out he had only entered a stage of hibernation. Bruce discovered his heart beat once a week. He pulled him out of his tomb and placed him under the glare of several sun lamps. Clark regained his strength and soon awoke.

After he awoke, they checked Kara to see if she was going through the same hibernation. It turned out she was, but since she was only half-Kryptonian, her hibernation would last much longer. Bruce calculated it out to 25 years.

Clark walked closer to the coffin and took a good look at his sister's face. She looked so peaceful, like she was sleeping and would wake up any moment. She looked just like their mother, right after she died.

Clark's mother died when he was ten years old. Shortly before the destruction of Krypton, she had found out she was terminally ill. In preparing for her coming death, she sought a reunion with her estranged husband, Jor-El, who she had separated from after he had ruined his career by erroneously claiming Krypton was going to be destroyed. When she told him about her illness he insisted that he could save her. He knew of a world she could go to where the sun would make her so strong the illness would not be able to kill her. Interstellar travel had been banned by the government, but the two of them took the risk and built a ship that could carry her to the planet called Earth. The day she left explosions started rocking Krypton. It was then that Jor-El revealed that he had been right about Krypton's destruction, he was just wrong about the date. The ship was to save her from the planet's destruction as well as her illness. She begged him to come with her, but he insisted he needed to stay behind and control the ship's launch. She blasted off from Krypton as the planet was destroyed around her.

His mother made it safely to Earth and crashed on the farm of Jonathan Kent. He took her in and kept her safe and hidden. While she was grateful for his hospitality, she planned to leave the moment she felt stronger and acclimated enough to Earth to live on her own. As she stayed with Jonathon she started developing feelings for him. When she discovered she was pregnant with Jor-El's child, she knew she could not raise it on her own on a planet strange to her. She told Jonathan her feelings for him and asked him if she could stay with him. He responded by proposing to her.

The yellow sun never quite had the healing powers for her that Jor-El believed they would. While the disease couldn't kill her, it did weaken her enough that she never developed the powers she would have had she been healthy. She never knew how much time she had left, but she knew the sun was not likely to keep her alive as long as Jor-El had hoped. After Clark was born she spent every day with him as if it was her last. As he grew she did what she could to teach him to use his developing powers.

Lara was never as concerned with teaching her son how to physically use his powers as much as she tried to teach him the responsibility of those powers. She tried to instill in him virtues that would make him a hero. She always saw that he would be an important symbol for the world.

Lara always felt sorrow over the fact Clark would be alone in the world. She knew he could keep a life as a civilian, but as a hero she thought he would always be alone. She never foresaw Bruce, or Diana, or any of the others who would be inspired to become a superhero because of him. She also never foresaw that she would have another child.

Lara had thought her Kryptonian genetics would not be compatible with Jonathan's human DNA, but somehow when Clark was ten years old she found herself pregnant with another child. She and Jon were overjoyed at the news, as was Clark. Lara was relieved her son would not be alone.

The pregnancy took a toll on Lara, during it her illness came roaring back strong. Giving birth pushed her health over the edge, and shortly after Kara was born it became obvious she was going to die. As she died, she gave Clark a message about the kind of hero he could become. She also commanded him to watch over his sister and train her the way she had trained him. She made him promise to keep her safe. It was a promise he had not been able to keep.

Two decades ago Darkseid, the brutal authoritarian leader of the planet Apokolips from another dimension, kidnapped and brainwashed him. He made Clark believe he was Darkseid's son. Darkseid had him lead an invasion of Earth. He thought with Superman leading his army the superheroes of Earth would not dare oppose him. He was wrong, the superheroes fought his armies and did their best to make Clark realize who he really was. None of them were able to get close to him to try and speak to him at all. All accept one, his sister, Supergirl. When she reached him she tried to talk to him and make him realize who he was. Flashes of who he really was started coming to him, and he believed she was using telepathy on him. In order to make it stop he hit her with all his might. After the blow, Kara laid on the ground and looked at him with sorrow on her face. Before she took her last breath she whispered "Clark" and then fell dead. In looking at the dead girl before him something seemed familiar. A memory started pushing its way forward in his mind and he soon found himself reliving his mother's death. He remembered the promise he had made to her, and when he realized he had broken it he was filled with a rage he never knew he was capable of possessing. He sought out Darkseid and tore him limb from limb in a matter of seconds.

Seeing their god, Darkseid, torn apart by Superman so easily struck so much fear into his armies they fled as quickly as they could. Clark almost gave up the superhero life, but was convinced otherwise by Bruce and Diana. The Justice League was formed from the ashes of the invasion, so the superheroes of Earth would be able to help each other and hopefully prevent the kind of thing that happened to Clark. Meanwhile, his sister was given a hero's burial and a shrine was set up for her and all the other superheroes that died in the invasion.

He put his hand against the crystal, hoping to feel something. He could just barely feel the heat emanating from the body. It was slightly stronger than it had been the previous week. He smiled at the progress she was making.

Clark slowly floated back down the hallway in the direction of the main hall. He wondered what Kara would think when she woke. He wondered if she would be scared of him after what he had done to her.

He reached the main hall and floated over the large crystal platforms that dotted the room. He landed on the ledge that contained the console to the Jor-El computer. He looked behind it at the back wall and took in the dual statues of his mother and father holding a globe of Krypton.

When his father built the spaceship for his mother, he included a crystal for building this fortress. Jor-El thought his mother would need to build her own home. He never foresaw her taking up with his adoptive father.

The fortress was meant to replicate the old crystal architecture of Krypton. It was a technology that had nearly been forgotten, but Jor-El learned about it as he saw it as the best technology for keeping Krypton alive in some form.

The fortress included an AI program that had the personality of his father. It contained all the information from Krypton his father had been able to access. The computer, along with the crystal technology, made the Fortress the perfect base for a superhero.

The Jor-El computer alerted him to the fact it had detected Wonder Woman entering. The fortress had multiple defenses against intruders, but it was programmed to recognize Bruce and Diana and not attack them. Wonder Woman flew into the hall and seemed shocked to find Clark.

"I shouldn't have come here," she said to him. "I was just in the area and thought-I should go." She began to float away.

"Diana!" Clark called after her. She stopped. "It's okay for you to stay. You obviously had some reason for coming here."

"Actually I didn't," she said as she floated back. "I was in the area and thought I would stop by to see if you were here." She made it to the ledge and slowly dropped to down to land on it.

Clark could tell she had something on her mind. She was looking straight down at the ground. She looked unsure of herself at the moment. He knew she had something to talk about.

"What were you doing in the area?" he asked. "I can't imagine there was any super villain activity I didn't know about."

She kept her head down with her hair falling over her face. Despite that, he could see her smirk ever so slightly. "I was up here because I was flying around aimlessly."

"Did something happen tonight that put you in a fog?" he asked. He had a good idea Diana's answer was going to involve one of two people.

"Yeah, it was Helena. Bruce actually. Correct that, it was both of them." Her voice was heavy as she talked.

"I haven't been plugged into the League news tonight," Clark confessed. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Helena was injured tonight," Diana said through a sigh. "It was real bad. She was hit with an Apokolips style weapon multiple times. I didn't get the whole story, but I know it happened because she was trying to protect her father. He needs to retire. He can't be putting our daughter in that position every night."

Clark knew how Bruce's need to retire was a sore point in their family. He had to admit that it was hard for him to consider it himself. Bruce had been an inspiration to Clark from the very first time they met. He thought that if a normal man like Bruce could be a hero, so could he. It was Bruce that drove Clark and Diana when they started working together. They never would have become the heroes they were now if it wasn't for Bruce. It was hard for them to think he would no longer be there to push them.

"Did you talk to him tonight about it?" he asked.

"No," she answered simply.

"Are you planning on talking to him about it?"

Diana let out another loud sigh. "I completely chickened out about saying anything to him. My daughter even called me out on it. I've been leaving it up to her to do something, and it has been totally unfair to her. I've asked that girl to bare more than she ever should have. I've asked that girl to protect her father, something that should have been my duty."

Clark knew all about Bruce and Diana's complicated relationship; he was a witness to all of it. The two loved each other, but hadn't quite been able to make it work. The biggest shame of it all was the position they often put their daughter in.

Despite her less than perfect upbringing, Helena had grown into the almost perfect superhero. It was what everyone had expected when they found out the two were going to have a child. Clark was ecstatic for his friends when he heard the news. When he woke from his death his first request was to see Helena. Bruce and Diana proudly showed her off to him. They also asked him to be her godfather. He was more than happy to accept.

At that time Clark owed Bruce and Diana a debt he could never repay. They had stood by him after the episode with Darkseid, and done everything they could to bring the rest of the world over to his side. The two of them formed the Justice League to show the rest of the world every super hero believed in him. There were still a lot of skeptics out there, but they all disappeared after his sacrifice in killing Doomsday.

"Perhaps, perhaps I could say something to him?" Clark suggested.

Diana looked over at him. Clark could see the sadness in her eyes. "You are so close to all of us, and we consider you and Lois a member of the family. With that said, it should be either me or Helena who tells him he needs to hang it up."

Clark suddenly remembered something. "I'm set to cover the charity fashion show Helena is going to be in tomorrow. Maybe I could talk to her. Maybe I could find out exactly what she is thinking about her father. Perhaps we could find a way to break the news to Bruce correctly."

A smile appeared on Diana's face. "Thank you," she said to him.


	3. Chapter 3: Robin Beyond

**Chapter 3**

Helena ripped open the metal roof of the warehouse and her father jumped through it. She followed him and fell to the ground below. As she fell she threw out Batarangs with sharpened edges that sliced through the guns the henchmen were holding. She hit the ground and out of the corner of her eye she saw some henchman raise their guns at her father. His batarangs had apparently missed their mark, so she fired two around him and they took out the guns. The gang bosses nearest them took out their weapons, but were met by the fists of Batman and Robin before they could do anything. Helena saw the henchmen begin to run and she went after them while Batman tried to finish up with the gang leaders. When she had taken out the henchmen who had tried to run she helped her father finish off the gang leaders. She had to chase after the last one to finish him off. She thought it was over until she saw a gun barrel peeking out between two boxes. She followed its aim and saw it was pointed right at her father.

She was going to run over and block the shots when a lowly gang member she hadn't seen before grabbed her. It only took her a second to throw the guy off of her, but that second was just enough to prevent her from reaching her father in time to be able to stop the blaster bolts. She watched in horror as her father was torn to shreds by the laser beams.

Helena woke up screaming. It took her a few seconds to realize she had been dreaming and she was safely in her bed, sweating profusely. She looked around to convince herself everything was normal in her room.

The dream she had of her father's death terrified her so much she just had to see he was alive and okay. She got out of bed and put on a pair of sweat pants. She walked down to the second floor and to father's bedroom door. She knocked on it. "Dad," she called. She knew he would likely be asleep, but he had never been a heavy sleeper.

There was no answer. She figured she could peek in, if he was asleep she likely wouldn't disturb him. She opened the door and looked in to see his bed was still perfectly made. There was no sign he had ever come up from the cave.

She knew her father had stayed downstairs to inspect the blasters. She admired his dedication, but knew he really should have put it off in order to get some rest. It was bad enough for him to be unable to admit he needed to retire, but it was even worse for him to not even realize he had to scale things back and rest more. She headed down to the cave to chastise him as well as see what progress he had made with his investigation. She walked down to the study and pushed the button for the cave entrance. The grandfather clock slid aside and she walked down the stairs to the cave below the manor.

All the lights were on and her father was asleep in his chair at the Batcomputer. His head was supported on one of his arms; the arm was positioned on the armrest. He was snoring softly. Helena didn't want to disturb him as he looked so peaceful.

After the dream she had she wanted to check something out. She brought the camera feeds up on the Batcomputer of that night's fight and started looking through them to study what happened.

Helena concentrated on the actions of her father. She watched both feeds and noticed he moved slowly, and he needed several punches to knock out each perp. She thought about bringing up older videos, but she knew exactly what they would have showed. She knew they would have showed her father moving around swiftly and knocking out each perp with one punch. They would have shown a scene far different than the one she just witnessed.

She looked over at her father as he slept with his head resting on his fist. She looked over him and concentrated on the signs of his age. His hair was almost entirely grey, with just a few spots of the old jet black hair left. There were lines on his face that showed his years. He had actually changed to a full face mask years ago to hide those lines.

Despite his age, he apparently didn't see any reason to give it up or even slow down. The fact he had fallen asleep in his chair while trying to find something in the weapons that would allow him to track their source was proof of that. Of course, if he relegated himself to just this kind of detective work and gave up the superhero work, it would be a huge improvement over the current situation.

Thinking about their current case she looked past him and at the grips he had left on the table. She walked over to them and started inspecting them. While every other part of the guns looked to be from out of this world, the grips didn't appear to be made out of any exotic materials. As she looked closer at them she thought they looked an awful lot like the handles of an old line of power tools.

She heard her father stirring in his chair and noticed him rubbing his face. "What time is it?" he asked her.

"It's time for a man your age to be in bed," she said to him. She could hear a slight grumble from him which was his way of giggling. "Have you made any progress on the case?" she asked him.

"No, the materials made to construct them come from all over. The maker did a good job of not getting any two things from one source. It would be almost impossible to follow all the leads."

"What if they were careless about something?" Helena asked.

"What do you mean?" her father asked.

"Well, the makers knew if we confiscated their weapons we would focus on the high tech parts to find how they were made and who might have done it. But what if there was a low tech part they wouldn't expect us to use to track them. They might get sloppy and grab whatever was handy. It might be a unique part that would be easily traceable."

Her father had turned around in his chair while she was talking to him. He saw the handle in her hand and immediately understood what she was getting at. He cleared all the high tech parts off the scanner. "Put it on there," he commanded her to do.

Helena laid the handle on the scanner and Bruce started working the controls. The Batcomputer did its thing and listed the information it had on the handle. Bruce read off the computer's output. "It's identical to the type of handles that were used on Workman power tools. The company went out of business two years ago." Bruce punched in a few commands for the computer. "They had a factory in the industrial area of Gotham. It shut down and a large amount of product was never moved out. That must be where they came from."

Helena suddenly held her breath. She knew her father would not want to let this lead sit idle. He would want to go out and investigate it. Her back was feeling better and she felt up to it physically. What she didn't feel up to was seeing her father put himself in the line of fire again. They had already had one close call tonight and she didn't feel like witnessing another.

"How is your back feeling?" he asked her. She wondered if by lying and saying she didn't feel up to it, she could force them to stay in for the night. However, she was afraid if she said no, then he would go out himself.

"I may not exactly be 100%, but I can go out there," she proclaimed.

Her father stayed silent for a moment as he thought about something. "I think we took out most of the hometown gang tonight," he began. "There shouldn't be anyone left to cause any trouble anytime soon. Investigating this warehouse is something you can do yourself."

Helena was dumbfounded by what her father said. She wondered if this was the beginning of him finally understanding he couldn't do so much anymore. She stayed silent as she didn't know what to do. "Sure, I'll suit up and head out," she finally stammered.

Helena put on a new Robin costume and walked out of the changing room. She headed immediately for her bike, but her father called out to her.

"I have a communicator I want you to wear," he told her. She took it from him and put it in her ear. "I'll be following what you do from here. I can watch through the camera in your mask. I still want you to talk to me and keep me informed with what is happening."

"Sure thing," she answered. She mounted her bike and rode out of the cave.

It was still late night, early morning as Helena rode through Gotham. In a couple hours people would be waking and going about their day. The criminals, on the other hand, were finishing up their activities and making plans for the next night.

Helena rode through the slums on her way to the industrial district that consisted mostly of abandoned factories. On her way, she passed the alley where her grandparents had been killed several decades earlier. She thought to herself that on her way back she might have to stop and pay her respects for a moment.

She parked on the edge of the district and jumped up to the roof of the nearest abandoned factory. The factory she wanted was located at the district's center and she jumped over to it. When she reached it she noticed a fire escape running up the side of it that led to a window which Helena guessed was the factory office. She jumped over to the fire escape and tried to open the window. As she pushed the pane aside the glass fell and broke before she could catch it. She cursed herself over her mistake. Someone inside could have been alerted to her presence by the noise.

"I heard that," her father bellowed at her through the communicator.

"Sorry, I'll try and do better," she told him.

She jumped into the office and took a look around. "The place looks like it has been occupied recently," she said to her father. "There are food wrappers all around here, and they don't look that old."

"It doesn't mean it was occupied by the gang we're looking for," he said to her. "Inspect the place some more."

She didn't need to be told how to do her job. She let the infraction go without a pass. She jumped down from the office to the factory floor and looked around. She found boxes full of the type of handle they had been looking for and other modern tools that indicated someone had been putting things together here. She told her father everything and he was ecstatic to see they had been right.

She found no sign anyone was present. She went into the old break room to inspect it and when she was in there she heard someone yelling from outside the room.

"Yo Vinnie, where are you?" the voice yelled. With the acoustics of the factory his voice echoed throughout the building. Helena clung to the wall so she couldn't be seen through the window. She walked along the wall to the window and looked out at the man wondering around. He looked to be in his forties and was dressed up like a man trying out for a mobster role in a movie. Helena had seen his type before. He was someone who was getting his first taste of criminal activity and was looking to movies to determine how he should act.

"I thought I heard something. What is it?" Her father asked her.

"Some thug has come by looking for another thug," she replied. "He's walking around and looking behind every box and crate. If I'm lucky he might come my way."

The thug spotted the break room and walked towards it. Helena ducked down and crawled under the window to the door. The second the thug walked through the door she grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up and held him against the wall. He tried to break free by kicking her, but all he did was hurt his feet. He soon stopped fighting when he realized it was hopeless.

The thug looked down at her with terror. "Why are you here?" she asked him.

He tried to act tough to prove to himself he was a gangster, something she had seen many times before. "You'll never get me to-"

Before he could finish his sentence she had pulled him away from the wall and then slammed him against it. He cried out, as he had his first taste of the kind of pain she could inflict on him. "I'm here to see Vinnie," he confessed.

"Why are you here to see him?" she asked.

"He told me he had a great money making opportunity. He said he had some product he needed help moving."

"What type of product?" Helena asked. She had a pretty good idea what product was being moved, but she wanted to know just how much this thug knew."

"I don't know," he confessed. "Drugs? What else could it be?"

It was obvious to Helena this guy was some small time scammer who had been called in to help out a low-life who was in over his head. There didn't seem to be too much information she could get out of him except for one little thing.

"Where can I find this Vinnie?" she asked him.

"The Cellar," he admitted. "He told me we would move the product to a safe place from where we could later transport it to the Cellar. It's a bar in case you didn't know. He was going to try and set up a meeting there."

Helena dropped the man to his feet. She pushed him out of the break room and as she did so she placed a small tracking device on him. She pushed him all the way to the ground and yelled at him to leave. He complied without incident.

"I put a small tracking device on him," she told her father when he was gone.

"I expected you would," he replied. "I'm watching his movements right now. I'll let you know if he goes anywhere interesting. The tracker tested his DNA. He's in the criminal system for a couple priors where he fenced stolen goods. He owns a small pawn shop, but has likely never been a major player in anything. He must have thought this was his chance to go big. Look around the factory and see if you can find anything interesting."

Helena looked around and found a few parts, but no intact weapons. Vinnie either moved them on his own, or they were stored someplace else. He was likely going to meet the pawn owner here and then take him to the weapons.

"Should I run to the Cellar to see what might be happening there?" she asked.

"They're closed by now. If you were to go as Robin you might be spotted and end up arousing suspicion which would cause Vinnie to change his plans. We'll have to wait until tonight so we can check the place out incognito. Your secret identity might serve us well in that regard. I'll tell you a little about my plan when you get back. You're going to have a very busy day tomorrow."

The rays of the morning sun shone brightly through the windows. The intensity of the light caused Rex to wake as the light hit his face. He was lying on his stomach with his head turned towards the window. He turned his head so he was facing the other way and lifted up one of his wings so it was shielding him from the sunlight. He used the other wing to shield Maril, who was sleeping next to him.

Rex looked at the gorgeous face of his girlfriend. He ran his fingers all along her back, something she enjoyed immensely. He saw Maril open her green eyes. She blinked a couple times and they smiled at each other when they saw they were both awake. Maril moved towards him and started kissing him as she pressed her bare skin against his. They each ran a hand through each other's hair as they kissed. Maril didn't have much to run her hand through as Rex had a short crew cut, like his former Marine father. Maril, on the other hand, had a full mane of thick black hair that was typical for Tamaranean females.

Rex pulled his wings down and Maril was hit with the full force of the sunlight. She stopped kissing Rex as she did her best to shield her eyes from the light. "I always forget how bright the damn Tamaranean sun is," she exclaimed to him.

They were on Tamaran as Rex was slated to travel from Tamaran to Thanagar that night. When Thanagar fell to the Gordanians over two decades ago, the planet of Rex's people had been closed off from the rest of the galaxy. Recently, the Gordanians had let their Thanagarian puppet government establish relations with Tamaran. Trade and travel began taking place between the two planets and Rex was taking advantage of this relationship to visit his mother's home world for the first time in his life.

"Why didn't we remember to close the curtains when we got in last night," Rex exclaimed as he sat up and threw the covers off of him. He walked over to the window buck naked, not caring who might be able to see in the window from the outside. He closed the curtains shut and the room instantly darkened.

"We didn't close the curtains because our mothers kept us so long going over details of your farewell party. When we finally got back we didn't waste any time getting right to it." Maril talked in a sultry voice that indicated she was enjoying the view she was getting of her boyfriend's naked body. Rex possessed the toned and muscular physique that was typical of most male superheroes.

He turned around and looked at Maril, who was stretched out naked and uncovered on the bed. The soft light gave her skin an orangish glow, a trait she had inherited because of her Tamaranean genes. She had a curvaceous figure with a large bosom that many other female superheroes shared.

Rex walked back to the bed and thought about the previous night. He had been more than happy to spend all that time planning the farewell party. It was tough dealing with his mother, the former Hawkgirl, who was planning most of it. Luckily, his father, a former Green Lantern, was around to hold her back a little. Rex knew it meant a lot to his mother that he was being permitted to go to her home world for the first time. He wanted a grand party not only for his mother's benefit, but for Maril's as well. He planned on proposing before the party and then announcing it to the partygoers and making it a dual engagement/farewell party. Numerous people, including all their parents, knew about the proposal plan. So far no one had spilled the beans to Maril. Rex hoped things would stay that way as he climbed on top of Maril and started kissing and caressing her.

Helena almost tripped over her own two feet as she walked down the stairs to breakfast. She had gotten just a few hours of sleep and was not quite fully awake. As she reached the bottom flight she could smell bacon coming from the direction of the kitchen. It helped to wake her up and she was able to walk normally to the dining hall.

She walked into the room to see her father reading his tablet and Alfred, with impeccable timing, setting down a plate of bacon and eggs at her seat. "Thanks Alfred, it looks delicious," she said as she sat down. She put one foot up on her seat as she ate.

Alfred stood motionless, like he didn't know what to do or say. Helena found this weird and she looked over at him. He had a weird look on his face. He looked over at her father, who looked back at him, expressionless.

"I should take my leave and let the two of you eat in peace," he said as he walked out into the kitchen. He had never felt the need to let the two of them have any privacy before; she was wondering what was different about this morning.

"What's going on?" Helena asked her father once Alfred was out of ear shot.

Her father laid his tablet down on the table in front of him. He looked especially weary to her this morning. She knew he hadn't gotten any more sleep then she had and figured it had to be because of that.

"Last night you were seriously hurt trying to protect me," he began. "You had to protect me because I am getting old and slow."

Helena stopped breathing as she knew exactly what was coming, but she was having trouble believing it. She had believed for a while now that he needed to hang it up, but now that it appeared to be happening, she found herself not wanting it. She was going to miss their time together, and she wasn't completely sure about herself taking on the job on her own. While she had strength he didn't, he had knowledge that she didn't. She knew missing that might be deadly for someone.

"My time has passed," he admitted. "We have planned for this. Last night was my last as Batman. Tonight, when you go out you will go out alone. And not as Robin, you're no sidekick anymore."

A smile crept along Helena's lips. Her father seemed okay with his retirement and she was getting excited about the idea of going out as her own superhero. She had been making plans for this for a couple years now, and had just about everything in place. She had gotten everything together even though she didn't quite believe she would need them any time soon.

"I can do it," she replied, confident as she thought about it some more. "I just need a mask; you and Mom told me not to worry about that."

"Yes, your mother and I put something together for you. It was a while back, but she should still have it."

"Aren't you going to give me the slightest hint what it's like?" she asked.

"I expect you to be able to figure it out on your own," he replied. "You are the world's second greatest detective, after all."

Helena smiled over her father's description of her. She woofed down the rest of her breakfast quickly. When she was done she rushed up to her room to send Maril a message and let her know about the good news.


	4. Chapter 4: Love Birds

**Chapter 4**

Rex enjoyed the view of the capital city of Tamaran, Galoria, as he ate his breakfast. Maril had a table set up on the balcony of her room and the servants were bringing their food to them. She had Earth food shipped to Tamaran so Rex could enjoy his favorites before he departed for Thanagar.

"It looks like it's going to be a nice day for your party," Maril said as she looked at the sky around them. He looked over at her and took in her beauty. Her orange colored skin glistened in the Tamaranean sun. She looked just as beautiful as ever to him. He was going to wait until tonight to ask her to marry him, but he started playing around with the ring in his pocket as he thought about doing it now and getting it over with. He decided to wait and he occupied his mind by thinking about the previous week, when he had asked her father for her hand in marriage.

Maril's father was Dick Grayson, the first Robin. He had been trained as Batman's protégé and sidekick, but as he grew he started setting out on his own. He started a team of sidekicks with other teen superheroes that included Koriand'r, Maril's mother. As Dick grew apart from Batman he felt the need to separate himself so he established the new superhero identity of Nightwing. He moved to Bludhaven, the city adjacent to Gotham, and became that city's protector.

Dick and Koriand'r started a relationship while they were together with the Titans. It continued when Dick left the Titans to be Bludhaven's protector. The two of them grew apart a little until Batman's second Robin, Jason Todd, was killed by the Joker. Dick re-evaluated his life and decided he wanted to settle down with Kory. They married and had Maril almost immediately. Maril's little brother, Richie, came along two years after her.

Maril was born around the same time as Helena Wayne. Their similar age and parental connection made them natural friends. They saw each other as the sister they never had.

While Dick and Kory initially carved out a nice life where they were able to raise a family and keep up their superhero work, they grew apart as the years went by. They had gotten married under the wrong circumstances and it showed over the years. When Kory had to take her place as Tamaran's ruling monarch, she didn't feel like she could ask her family to uproot and follow her. She recognized she and her husband didn't have the kind of love they should have. She left them behind when she went to Tamaran.

Dick ended up finding solace with Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl, who after being paralyzed took up crime fighting as a computer expert. She had always been the love of his life and the two of them rekindled the love they had from when they were young. They married when Maril was eight and had twins, a boy and a girl, five years later after trying for a long time.

Maril and Richie were trained in the family business and became their own superheroes. From their mother they inherited a list of Tamaranean super powers: flight, super strength, and super stamina. Their mother had also acquired the abiltity to shoot laser bolts from her hands. This was something she also passed on to her children. They had a much easier time as superheroes then their aging father did, although he still refused to completely retire, much like his mentor.

Maril and Rex grew up together in the Justice League. Their relationship became romantic as they reached the tween age. They knew early on they were in love and had something special.

Despite their feelings for each other, they often had trouble finding a way to spend time together. Maril was able to pass for a human and could lead a normal civilian life with her father, stepmother, and siblings. With Rex's winged Thanagarian physiology, he was obviously alien and obviously the child of a Justice League member. Rex was never able to spend time with her in her civilian life as it would have raised too many questions about how Maril knew a Justice League member. She could never risk her family's secret identities in that manner.

Despite the problems they had spending time together, they never questioned that one day they would be married. They didn't quite know all the details on how they would make it work, but they had faith they could figure it out. When Rex went to ask her father for permission he knew that was a subject that would be broached.

Rex had to meet her father at the old Bludhaven clock tower. Rex flew in and found Barbara serving her role as Oracle. She was talking her stepson, Richie, through the labyrinth that was the subway tunnels of Bludhaven. He was searching for some gang that was using the tunnels as a hideout. She had a map of the tunnels on her computer and could follow Richie's movements.

Rex stayed back so as not to disturb her. He heard Richie shout over the speaker as he stumbled across the gang's hideout. Rex could hear a commotion and sounds that he took to be Richie firing laser bolts. Barbara was shouting at him to get out of there and keep himself safe. Rex could detect the fear in her voice. Through the speakers he could hear grunting and yells that indicated a fist fight.

Barbara was silent as she waited to hear if Richie was okay. His voice came over the speaker and Rex could see her exhale the breath she had been holding. He told her he used his laser blasts to blind them and then knocked them out one by one. Barbara told him to take the gang members up to the surface and she would call the police and tell them where to find them.

When she was done with her call Rex walked out and revealed himself. "You shouldn't worry about him so much," he said in reference to her stepson. "He can take care of himself."

"That's what his father says," Barbara replied. "He's still just a kid to me." As Rex walked towards her he noticed the picture of the five year old twins on top of one of her computer monitors. It reminded him that Maril was babysitting them tonight and thus couldn't interrupt them.

"A kid who might be taking over the protection of this city, along with his sister," Rex heard Maril's father say as he walked out of the shadows. "You have to accept that they are growing up, honey."

"I know," Barbara replied. "Soon they will be moving away and starting their own lives."

"I guess that is what you are here to talk about," Maril's father said to Rex. He was quite taken aback that Maril's father would bring up the subject like that. He was surprised, but somewhat glad that the subject had been broached and he wasn't going to have to bring it up.

"Maybe we should go somewhere private and talk?" he asked.

"Whatever you have to talk about you can talk about in front of me," Barbara began. "I would actually like to be included in this conversation."

Rex felt bad that he had screwed things up so quickly. He tried to ignore it and plunge ahead. "Okay, you know why I am here. I love your daughter very much and we want to spend the rest of our lives together. I am here asking you for her hand in marriage, as you may have been able to figure out. You were trained by the world's greatest detective, after all."

Rex hoped the last bit he said would help break the ice, but it sounded stupid when it came out. He looked nervously between Maril's father and stepmother. "You don't have to be nervous," her father reassured her. "We're not here to grill you, but we do have some questions."

Rex breathed a sigh of relief even though the questioning was just beginning. He had gotten through the first part and that was enough to be happy about for now. He had an idea what the questions were going to be and he was ready for them.

"How do the two of you plan to live together?" her father asked him.

"We don't have all the details worked out," Rex admitted. "We would never do anything to jeopardize the secret identities of your family. Maril is willing to live completely with the League so as not to jeopardize you. I feel bad that it is me who would be asking Maril to give up her civilian life, but there is nothing I can do about that. The forfeiture of her civilian life is something she will likely have to do eventually, if she is to ever take over for her mother as the ruler of Tamaran. If that day comes, it will be no problem for me to live on Tamaran. In many ways we will be able to be open about our relationship on Tamaran in ways we cannot be open here.

Maril's father and stepmother both smiled, although Rex didn't know quite what to make of them. Her father started speaking to him. "We always knew this day would come, and it's been tough to prepare. From the time she was born, I always felt Maril never belonged down here with us. It was the same thing with her mother, I forced her to live a life she was never suited to live. She belongs at the Watchtower, she belongs on Tamaran. I know it's going to be hard for her to give up her life here, but it's actually what is right for her. Her future is going to be on Tamaran and she needs to start preparing for that future. I could think of no other man I would want her to make that transition with other then you. You are going to have to be a rock for her as her life goes through its changes. I think you know what lies ahead of you and it's good to see you are willing to face it."

Maril's father then put a hand on Rex's shoulder. "In case I wasn't clear enough the two of you have my permission to marry. I know you are going to be very happy together."

Rex continued playing around with the ring box in his pocket. In his mind his inner voice went back and forth between deciding to propose to her now and not deciding to propose to her. He finally reached the decision to go ahead and propose just as a servant walked out on to the balcony carrying a tray with a tablet on it. Rex would have to wait until the servant left in order to do his business.

The servant presented her with the tablet and told her it was a message from Helena on Earth. Maril became excited when she heard it was from her BFF. She turned all her attention to the datascreen as she played Helena's message.

Rex tried to hear what their friend said in the message, but the volume was turned down and he could only make out bits and pieces. What he did hear indicated Helena's father was retiring and she was adopting a new superhero persona. It was all apparently happening tonight. Maril was so excited by the news she started recording her response the moment she was finished with Helena's message. Rex decided to put off the proposal as he decided to let Maril just revel in their friend's good news.

Bruce was engrossed in the sales figures he was looking at until he heard the sound of crinkling paper coming from the ground. He looked down to see the little black Chihuahua walking all over the papers Bruce had laying on the floor of the limo. Bruce kind of needed them for his board meeting and he didn't want the damn dog doing anything to them. He grabbed them all together, in the process of collecting them he messed them up more than the dog did. He put them on the seat next to him as he pushed the dog away with his foot. The dog yet out a yelp of sadness and ran across the limo to where Helena was sitting.

Helena had been playing around on her phone during the entire drive. She finally looked away from it when she heard the dog barking at her. "Aw Ace," she said as she picked it up. "Is Grandpa not giving you any attention?" She held the dog's lips up to hers so he could 'kiss' her. Bruce couldn't help but watch and roll his eyes at his daughter's behavior.

Helena gave her father a mischievous smile upon seeing him roll his eyes. She put the dog in her bag and went back to checking her phone again. Bruce was wondering what his daughter found so engrossing on that thing.

"Would you mind telling me why you can't take your attention away from that damn thing for a second?"

"I sent Maril a message about what's happening tonight and I'm wondering if she will be awake to receive it. I'm trying to find out what time it might be in the capital of Tamaran right now, but it's quite difficult. There isn't exactly an app for that kind of thing."

Helena was using the latest phone from Waynetech and often made snarky comments to him about what it couldn't do. There were often times she acted like a spoiled heiress when she wasn't around anyone she needed to put on the act for. Unlike him, she actually enjoyed the secret identity she had established for herself. She didn't have to play a part in public quite the way he did.

As he looked at her and how she was dressed he was reminded of that fact. She was wearing a sun dress that was in line with the current fashion, it covered her from her chest to the top of her legs, but contained no more fabric besides that. She had on a large hat that would have been fitting if she were at the Kentucky Derby. She often reminded her father big hats were in style again, for some reason.

"Checking your phone every five seconds is not going to make Maril respond to you any faster. Besides, from what I hear she is going to have other things on her mind."

Helena looked at her father skeptically, wondering if he was talking about what she thought he was talking about. "What did you hear?" she asked him.

"Just that Rex was going to ask Maril to marry him," he replied.

"How do you know about that?" she asked with a hint of incredulity in her voice.

"Dick told me Rex asked for his permission." Helena was still looking at him skeptically. "I DO talk to people. I don't know why you think I never do."

"I guess I listen to everyone else in the League too much," she replied. "I wanted to make sure you weren't spying on my communications with Rex. I'm a bit surprised Dick would spill the beans to you like that."

"Well I don't talk to anybody, so he didn't have to worry about the information spreading beyond me," Bruce said as he went back to scanning the papers that were before him. Bruce's joke actually made his daughter giggle.

"Would you spill the beans to someone if Connor asked for permission to marry me?" she asked her father.

"I don't talk to anyone, I wouldn't have anyone to spill the beans to," he said hurriedly. "Besides, the news would spread quick that I denied him permission, so I wouldn't have much of a chance to tell anyone the news myself." Helena shook her head and rolled her eyes at her father's lame attempt at a joke. She noticed the way he talked and knew something was up. She made a mental note and decided not to pursue it any further for now.

Bruce didn't know his daughter wasn't going to push him any further and tried to change the subject. "I don't know why everyone sees me as anti-social?" he asked rhetorically.

"It might have something to do with your surly attitude and the fact you often don't try to keep up appearances," she said through a sigh. She started rummaging through her purse for something. Ace kept getting in her way. She took her hat off and laid it upside down on the seat. She then put Ace inside of it so he couldn't move around. She went back to looking through her purse until she pulled out her brush.

"If you walk into the board room looking like that they are going to have you removed," she said as she walked over and sat next to him. She lifted his head up and started working on his hair. "I keep telling you to color your hair. It will make you look vibrant and youthful."

When his hair was satisfactory Helena started adjusting his tie. "You don't even have your collar buttoned," she said in exasperation as she fixed that. "You would be in such dire straits without me." She finished adjusting the tie right as the limo slowed to a stop in front of Wayne Tower. She helped her father get all his papers together and put them in his briefcase.

"You should start learning a little more about the business," he said to her as he got his things together. "You're going to have to take over one day."

"Let's worry about one retirement at a time," she said to him as she kissed him good-bye on the cheek. He exited the limo and Helena went back to her seat. She put Ace back in her bag as Alfred took off for the fashion show.

Her phone beeped in her bag and Ace started barking at it. He stopped when she took it out. The phone had retrieved a message that Maril had sent to her. From the time stamp it appeared the message had been sitting in her League inbox for a while. She made a note to tell her father about that glitch. The message was congratulating her on her first night out. Maril made no mention of being engaged.

The drive to the convention center where the fashion show was being held was a short one. The minute the limo stopped someone opened the door from the outside. Whoever opened it stuck a hand inside to help her. When she took it, she immediately knew who it was from the way it felt.

Connor Queen, her boyfriend, helped her out of the limo. She immediately fell into his arms and started kissing him. When they stopped for a moment she kept her face pressed against his. "So your mom put you on valet duty?" she asked him as a joke.

"It's a better job than the garbage duty she gave to Ted," he replied. Helena giggled and kissed him some more. It had been a while since they had been together. Being the protectors of two cities several hundred miles from each other made it difficult to spend time together. Recently, it seemed as though events like this were the only time they were able to see each other.

They stopped again and Helena kept her eyes fixated on Connor. "Trying to put on a show for the cameras?" she asked him. She didn't bother to look around him to see if there was any press waiting for her. She didn't want to take her eyes off her boyfriend.

"I just want everyone to know the most beautiful girl in the world is all mine," he said. Helena listened carefully and could hear the sounds of cameras going off. The sound of footsteps was apparent as the press around them started to walk closer to them.

"This is close enough," Connor yelled to them as he motioned for them to stay back. He put an arm around Helena and tried to shield the world's most famous socialite from them. The reporters stayed in a circled herd around them and moved together as they followed Helena and Connor to the door of the center.

Helena glanced at the herd and saw several recognizable faces. Many of the reporters were shouting to her, asking her for just a second of their time. There was no real information for Helena to give them; they just wanted a quote or two for their story. Helena ignored them all as she didn't feel like putting on the heiress act today.

They reached the door and Connor held it open for her. As he opened it Helena looked back and took a scan of the crowd of reporters. She came across a familiar face in the crowd.

"You're from the Daily Planet, in Metropolis, aren't you?" she said to the gray-haired man in the back of the crowd.

The man looked around nervously to make sure Helena was talking to him. He looked in pain for being singled out by her. "Yes, I'm Clark Kent from the Daily Planet," he said nervously as he adjusted his glasses.

"Good, I need to improve my image their after the whole fiasco with the opening of Studio 36. Why don't you come in with me, I'll give you an exclusive."

The reporter's previous nervousness was replaced by excitement as he worked his way through the crowd. The stares of jealousy and anger by the other reporters were palpable. He almost tripped and fell flat on his face a couple times, but he made it through the throng of reporters. When he finally reached Helena he followed her inside the center as Connor closed the door behind them.

Helena's high heeled shoes clanged loudly against the marble floor in the otherwise quiet center. She and Clark were alone inside the center, so they were able to speak freely. "How did you get knocked down to the gossip pages?" she asked him. "I thought someone with your experience would have their pick of assignments."

"While I have the experience, I don't have the hunger that the young kids do to kiss the editor's ass," Clark replied. "You didn't pull me out of the pool because you had pity on me, did you?"

"No, I have some genuine news for you. The old man is retiring," she told him.

Clark had is phone out and crushed it in surprise and stopped walking as he realized what she was getting at. "Are you serious?" he asked, incredulous.

"I wouldn't joke about something like this," she said as she looked back at him and took off her sunglasses. "Now are you going to be able to keep up with me, I need to get backstage."

Clark started walking again and followed Helena. "I'm just surprised because this is so sudden. Did what happened to you last night push him to make a decision?"

"I didn't think the news of our little distress signal last night. . ." Helena stopped in her tracks as she realized how Clark knew about last night. "You talked to my mother last night, didn't you?" she asked him.

"Yes, she stopped by the fortress and she might have mentioned your little run in." He talked nervously and it was a genuine nervousness.

"I take it she said my Dad needed to retire?" Helena asked.

"Yes, she said he should, which sounds sensible given that he himself decided to retire now."

"You guys just don't get it," she said as she shook her head and continued walking. To Clark, she definitely took after her father in that some of her thought processes were utterly mystifying to him.

He followed her down what appeared to be a little used service hallway. Helena opened the door to the backstage of the fashion show and Clark failed to follow her. "What are you waiting on?" she asked him as she looked back.

"That's backstage, where you girls are going to be changing," he said.

"Not out in the open," she tried to remind him.

"You'll still be changing back there," he repeated.

"Damn, I forget how much of a boy scout you are. "Are you doing anything for lunch?" she asked him.

"Why do you ask?"

"I thought I could give a struggling reporter a big interview to help him get back on his feet," she said with a smile. "Actually, one of my Dad's restaurants has a nice private room I can use anytime. I thought we could have lunch and discuss some things."

"I know which restaurant you're talking about. I've been there before."

"Of course," she said as she let the door close behind her.

Her phone beeped and Ace started barking at it. She took it out and the dog quieted down. She looked at the text Connor sent her.

**Forgot to tell U.** **Got a hotel room for us. U interested meeting up?**

Helena texted back she would meet him after lunch, she just needed to know the hotel and room. Right as she finished the text she found herself wrapped up in a tight bear hug. The girl giving her the bear hug was a short, young blonde who could only be Olivia Queen, the sixteen year old sister of Connor.

Olivia broke the hug and immediately started talking in a low voice without taking a breath. For her, playing the secret identity role of a ditzy blonde heiress wasn't such a stretch from her natural state. "Maril sent me a message asking me if I had heard the news. When I told her I didn't know what she was talking about she said your dad was hanging it up and you were going out yourself tonight. That is so exciting. I'm so happy for you. I've had to keep my mouth shut because Maril realized she made a mistake and shouldn't have told me. You don't have to worry about Connor, he doesn't know and I am sure you would want to tell him yourself. We should really patrol together some time, like we always dreamed about. I'm helping Richie out right now over in Bludhaven since Maril is away and . .."

Olivia finally stopped talking when her mother, Dinah Lance-Queen, came over to talk to the girls. She knew Gotham well as she had started out her vigilante career here as the Black Canary. She always kept Gotham in her thoughts after moving to Star City when she married Oliver and often held charity events in the city.

"I hear congratulations are in order for you," she said to Helena as she patted her on the back.

"I might have told my mother the news," Olivia confessed meekly.

"You're ready for this, don't doubt yourself," Mrs. Queen said to her. "Now there are others around here who don't know about us. We shouldn't talk about this too much. I have the outfits you're modeling first hung over there. Pick a booth and get changed."

Helena and Olivia grabbed their prom style dresses and then took an empty booth. Helena had a backless gown and was glad her back had healed up all the way. When Olivia stripped down to her undies Helena was surprised to see a fresh wound on her thigh. "What's that?" Helena asked her.

"Connor and I went up against the new Merlyn the Magnificent a couple days ago," she answered. "I took a hit, and don't say anything about it. Our parents don't know."

Helena could commiserate with the desire to hide wounds from her parents. "I know how you feel. I took some nasty hits to the back and my mother had a conniption over them. It's what pushed my father into finally retiring."

"Your back looks fine now," Olivia assured her as Helena pulled the straps of the dress up on her shoulders.

The conversation the two girls had caused Helena to think about what she was supposed to do that night. "Are you going to be busy tonight, around eight 'o' clock?" she asked Olivia.

"I can make time. What do you need?" The girl sounded excited she might be able to join Helena on a mission.

"I have some undercover work to do, so to speak. I can use a wingman, if you're up for it?"

"Of course I am," Olivia answered, excited.

"Good, just be ready to go after dinner. Dress as if you were going to a fancy club."

The fashion show went off without a hitch. Helena modeled the prom dress along with a bikini. There was no sign she had almost been disintegrated the night before. When it was over she headed right for the restaurant where she was set to meet Clark.

Clark cleaned his glasses as Helena ate. Her food was waiting for her when they got to the room. She had told him to let her know what he wanted so she could call it ahead, but he didn't need to eat and he didn't want to cost the Wayne's any money, even if it was insignificant to them.

Clark looked around the large party room they were in. It seemed weird to him to have this whole room to themselves, but then he remembered how large the dining hall at Wayne Manor was. Helena was more then used to a room like this.

"You don't have to wear those, it's just me here," Helena told him as he put on the glasses. "The waiter will only come if I page him. Having a direct line to a waiter is one of the benefits of being the daughter of the owner."

"Over the years I've become more comfortable with them on," he told her. "At least when I'm out and about as Clark."

Helena looked Clark over. The man hadn't aged a day in thirty years, so when he went out as Clark he had to grey his hair and put on make-up to appear his age. It was a stark contrast from her father, who she was always telling to change his appearance to look younger.

"So when are you going to retire from the paper?" she asked him. "I can't imagine you want to spend the next couple years doing nothing but covering the fund-raisers of the rich and idle."

"Lois is still hungry enough to get the good assignments, and I would hardly get to see her if we didn't work together at the Planet."

"You could always be a good house husband for her," Helena said with a smile.

Clark tried to change the subject. "I'm the reporter; shouldn't I be asking the questions?"

"Okay, what do you want to ask me?" she said as she stopped eating for a moment and put down her silverware.

"How did your mother react when you told her the news about your father?" Clark asked.

"Oh fuck," Helena said as she picked up her purse. From her actions it was apparent the girl had forgotten to tell her mother the news.

"She doesn't carry a cell phone," Helena said to herself as she grabbed her phone and then threw it back in the bag. Clark could hear Ace running after the phone in the bag. "Where's my League communicator?"

Clark took his out of his ear and handed it over to Helena. She looked at it skeptically for a second, but took it from him. She wiped it off with her napkin and then stuck it in her ear.

"Helena to Watchtower," she began. "Yeah, Starwoman, can you patch me through to my mother."

Clark could have listened in on Diana's side of the conversation, but didn't want to invade their privacy. It seemed weird even being able to hear Helena's side of it.

"Mom, I have some news for you."

"So, you've already heard the news from Dad. I would have called you earlier, but I figured he would have told you. After all, you need to bring my mask over."

"How can you be so sure I'm lying? Do you really think I would have forgotten to tell you about something this important?"

"How can you be complaining about this being too all of a sudden? You were the one who just last night said Dad needs to hang it up."

"I've had more training then you ever did when you left Themyscira. And this is Gotham, not the heart of Apokolips."

"I'm done talking to you Mom, I'll see you tonight." Helena took the communicator out of her ear and threw it on the table, smashing it. She went back to eating quietly.

She had a look of sadness on her face that Clark had seen several times when she was a little girl and was practically living on the Watchtower. Like now, the sadness often came from a fight she had with her parents.

Clark could guess the fight they just had was over Diana's concern for her daughter. It suddenly hit Clark that the fear Diana showed the previous night was more about her daughter then it was about Batman. She had been concerned for some time Helena would end up in a bad position trying to protect her father. It now appeared she was having trouble letting some of the concern go now that Helena was finally going to be on her own.

Clark remembered back to when Bruce and Diana had first told him they were expecting. They were so happy and he was equally happy for them. They both had dreams of a child that would grow up to follow in their footsteps. When the rest of the League heard the news they salivated at the idea of a hero with Wonder Woman's powers and Batman's skills. Helena had been born on the exact day that Clark was killed by Doomsday. When he came back to life he noticed that their dreams for their daughter had changed. Seeing Clark die had made them fearful for Helena. They accepted that Helena would one day be a superhero, but didn't look forward to it anymore.

Clark and Lois had never managed to have any children of their own. Not having kids was not something that ever really gnawed at him. In looking at Helena and the issues she had he wondered how a child of his would have handled living up to his legacy. Clark wondered how he would have done training a child. After his failure with his sister, Kara, he was glad he never had to train someone else.

"Sorry you had to hear that," Helena said to him. "And sorry about your communicator."

"I have others," he said in reference to the communicator. "And that's not the first Wonder Woman fight I've witnessed."

Helena smiled slightly at the insinuation. "I guess she does have her moments."

Clark went back to asking her the questions. "I take it you had a reason for asking me to this lunch."

"My father needs to stay involved in the League," she said between bites.

"But he's giving up the mantle of the Bat," Clark reminded her.

"I know, but I still think he needs to be part of the triumvirate," she said. The triumvirate was a reference to Clark, Bruce, and Diana as the leaders of the Justice League. "He can't be put out to pasture completely. He has a lot of experience and can still serve the League-"

"You don't have to try and convince me," he said as he interrupted her. "The League will always need a Batman." Clark thought back to the situation where he had been brainwashed and used as a pawn by Darkseid. It was the faith Batman showed in him more than anything else that helped him win back the public's affections. As a non-superpowered hero Batman was looked upon by the public as a trusting figure for them. It was his approval of the League that swayed the public in many circumstances.

Clark noticed the time was getting late. "I have to leave for the airport now so I can make my flight," he told Helena.

"You're actually flying commercial?" she asked with a laugh.

"I still have to do some things to keep up appearances and hide my identity," he said as he stood. "Good luck tonight," he told her.

"I hope you won't be by to check up on me," she said to him. "I'll be able to handle things myself."

"I'm not on patrol tonight," he told her.

"Another assignment?"

"No, I'm taking some personal time. Today is a decade since my father passed."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks, any activity going on tonight that you know about?"

"Someone is trying to sell clones of weapons from Apokolips. We think they got their hands on a leftover from the invasion and reverse engineered it."

Clark's breath stopped for a moment over the mention of the invasion from Apokolips. It was an invasion he had led as Darkseid's brainwashed pawn. "It could always be an escaped refugee from there," he reminded her.

"I hadn't thought about that. I didn't know too many people made it over any more."

"It happens, so be careful," he told her. "Good luck."

"Hey Kent," she called after him as he tried to leave. "Do you need anything for your story? I assumed you were still going to write something."

"I can just make it up," he said.

She smiled at what he said. "I guess you're good at making up interviews. You did it with yourself all the time."

Clark moved to leave again, but thought about one more thing. "I did have one question for Helena Wayne. Any comment you want to make on the status of your relationship with Connor Queen?"

"Did my mother put you up to this?" she asked.

"Not recently," he said as he couldn't lie. He left before she could give him an answer.


	5. Chapter 5: Children of Heroes

**Chapter 5**

The slave ran through the rocky formations, constantly looking over his shoulder. The boulders that dotted the landscape made the desert he was running through a maze. As a boy he had learned the best way through, and now he was trying to recall that knowledge so his escape may be successful.

The slave had spent ten years servicing the queen of the tiny asteroid he lived on. He had been free once, before the queen and the prince showed up.

He was just a young boy then. His mother never told him much about why they had to be enslaved in the service of the queen. He had heard once the prince had killed his father, but he could never believe it as his father had been a powerful warrior, and the prince was just a young boy when he arrived with his mother.

The slave had spent years learning his way through the mines he worked. He knew that at least one of them had to wind their way to the surface. He had finally found such a tunnel and this night he had broken through to the surface. He was pretty sure no one had seen him, but he knew he couldn't be too careful. He had heard the other slaves talk about how the prince had psychic powers and super senses. He didn't believe any of that, but he was still afraid the queen or the prince might have found out about his escape tunnel.

After a long run the slave made it to the wide open field that encircled the Apos mountain range. Once he made it to the mountains, he could make it to the secret cave that held the only way off the rock. During his enslavement he had heard rumors of a Mother Box located in a cave. The Mother Box could open a Boom Tube that could transport him to freedom in another dimension.

He had been told about the device by a blue-haired man who worked the mines with him. The man had heard the previous ruler had hidden it there so they could escape in case of invasion or overthrow. The man offered to let the boy escape with him, but he turned the man down, he didn't believe he could make it.

The prince handled escapees harshly. Their mangled bodies were brought back and put on display to instill fear in all the other slaves. The body of the man had never been brought back. The boy knew he had made it to safety and believed he could follow him.

The slave stopped and looked back at the end of the boulder maze. He couldn't see or hear anyone behind him. He started to laugh with joy over his successful escape.

"Do you see something funny?" he heard a voice say. He looked ahead to see the prince hovering above the ground. He was wearing his full suit of armor that covered him from head to toe. The slave had no idea how he was managing to float without any hover disk to stand on. He began to believe all the things he had heard about the prince having magical powers.

"How did you find me?" the slave yelled.

"I know everything," the prince answered.

"Good job, my son," the queen said as she floated down on her hovering circle. "Now, show him what happens to those who try and defy us."

The slave looked in horror as the prince's eyes started glowing red underneath his helmet. The slave started feeling his skin get hot and could smell his flesh burning. He continued screaming in pain even after the heat blast stopped. He then found himself lifted off the ground. The slave plunged to the ground and everything went dark.

"Good job, my son," Lashina said as she looked over the crushed body of the slave. "Let's take him back to the palace. We can display his body just like all the others."

"Batman, giving it up, I can't believe it," Rex's mother, Shayera Hol said. Rex and Maril were having a private lunch with his parents.

"It must be nice to retire on your own terms," his father, John Stewart, added. Rex and his mother giggled over this. John had once been a Green Lantern. The Green Lanterns were a police force for the galaxy that was run by the Guardians on Oa. He was forced to retire when they believed he was too old for the job. He always resented the fact he had no say in the decision.

"You could have always created another superhero identity for yourself," Rex reminded him.

"It wouldn't have been the same," his father replied.

"So what identity has Helena adopted for herself?" Shayera asked.

"Wonder Huntress," Maril replied. "I helped her make her costume. She really looks quite stunning in it."

"I kind of wish I was there for her first night out. I could have flown over from Bludhaven and we could have patrolled together."

"If she is anything like her father, I don't think she would want company, even from you," Shayera told her.

Maril was going to reply, but a servant came in and she turned her attention to her. The servant told Maril her mother needed to see her, and Maril immediately excused herself.

"So, have you asked her yet?" Rex's father asked his son once Maril was out of earshot.

"No, I haven't, Dad," he answered. "I was going to do it at breakfast, but then the news about Helena came and Maril was preoccupied. I'll do it right before the party, as I originally planned."

"That is going to leave the two of you such little time to enjoy it together," his mother reminded him. "You could always delay your trip to Thanagar in order to spend more time with Maril."

"Stop trying to keep me from going," Rex yelled at his mother.

"I can't help that I'm worried about what might happen to you," his mother protested. There are a lot of people who will want to punish you for what I did."

Shayera Hol had originally been sent to Earth as a Thanagarian spy. She had been sent to Earth and told to act as a superhero and gather intelligence on the planet for an upcoming occupation. When the Thanagarians originally came to Earth they pretended to be a benevolent occupier who would help the superheroes protect their planet from the totalitarian Gordanians.

Shayera had never been told the true plans of the Thanagarian Elders. They were going to use Earth to create a hyperspace portal that would allow them to attack the weak flanks of the Gordanians. In the process, Earth was set to be destroyed. The Justice League found out about this, but was captured before they could do anything. They were subdued and captured using the information on their weaknesses Shayera had provided them with. Shayera went along with all these plans as she wanted to be a good soldier. Her ability to stand against her people was further complicated by the fact the general leading the force, Hro Talek, was her betrothed.

The Justice League managed to escape. Shayera later passed along the information they needed to destroy the hyperspace gate. She worked from the inside to help them out, betraying her fiancé in the process. The Justice League won the day and the Thanagarians had to return home. Shayera was left behind and was accepted back by the Justice League.

The Thanagarians had diverted a lot of forces in anticipation they would be able to attack through the hyperspace gate. This division of forces left them weak around Thanagar and the Gordanians pounced. The flanking attack would have won the battle for the Thanagarians, but it never came. When the fleet returned it found Thanagar had already surrendered. The fleet that was left tried to retake the planet, but was torn to shreds in the attempt. There were few survivors from the fleet.

Small bits of news on the occupation made its way back to Shayera. From what she heard her name was cursed by everyone on the planet. Knowing she did the right thing didn't do much to ease the burden of being cut off from her people for the rest of her life.

When the Gordanians allowed the Thanagarians to re-open diplomatic channels with Tamaran, Shayera was able to talk with her family for the first time in decades. They were excited to know she had a son, but she was always a bit distrustful of them. She could only imagine the scorn they must have faced because of her, and she questioned if they still saw her as family.

They had invited Rex to come and visit. Shayera left the decision up to him, and he jumped at the chance. She had been dropping hints ever since he might want to reconsider.

"My grandparents have assured me nothing will happen," he reminded her. "How can you not trust your own parents? What would you think if I didn't trust you on a matter such as this?"

Before Shayera could answer Maril walked back in, oblivious to the conversation they were having. "My mother just had a simple question she needed me to answer," she told them as she took her seat. Everyone went back to eating, forgetting the previous conversation.

Helena collapsed on the bed next to Connor. She caught her breath as the feelings of ecstasy surged through her body. She was always amazed how Connor could tire her out despite possessing no major superpowers, other than the sonic roar which he inherited from his mother. As she lay in bed she thought back to the beginning of their relationship. It had started shortly after she came to live with her father.

"Can't we wait until school starts?" a twelve year old Helena asked her father as they rode in the back of the limo. "You could spend some time training me and teaching me a little about what to expect in school. Why do I have to learn how to socialize now?"

"Because there is no better time than the present," he answered. He looked at her sternly, emotionless. Normally, when he wasn't wearing the cowl, he was happy and jovial with her. Now, he was just as stern and cold as he was as Batman. He wasn't quite using the gravely Batman voice, but he was pretty close.

Helena pouted as she looked out the window. She was not looking forward to her month of camp at all. This was supposed to be the most premiere and expensive camp in the nation. Every other kid her age would be thrilled to go, but she wasn't every other kid in any sense of the imagination.

"I'll be too powerful," she suddenly blurted out. "I can't go because the very first game we play, I'll be too good and everyone will know I'm a superhero."

She thought she had her father beat, but he wasn't willing to listen to any excuses she had. "It shouldn't be hard to run a little slower than anyone else. You're not exactly going to be boxing or wrestling, so you don't have to worry about appearing too strong there. I've seen you swim, and you're not really any better at that than anyone else. I'm not concerned about you having any problems at this camp because of your powers."

Helena felt like punching something she was so mad at her father. "Can you tell me again why I need to go at all?"

"You might not realize it, but being thrown into an uncomfortable situation like this will teach you so much. You're going to have to learn to observe and adapt. You're going to have to learn how to quickly assess a situation and respond accordingly. In our line of work, this is by far the best and safest place to learn these kinds of things."

Her father sighed as he thought of something. "By the way, you won't be completely alone. The Queen children are going to be there. Connor and Olivia at least, Teddy's still a little too young to go."

"Will people know who I am?" Helena asked.

"What do you mean?" her father asked. "This is the first time you will meet most of these people."

"But you're well known. You're rich. You're famous. They're going to recognize my name, aren't they?"

"Probably, you're going to find out what's it like to have people mob you and get close to you because they want something. It's a very good way to learn how to detect insincerity. That's something that will help in your crime fighting later."

"We're here," Alfred announced from the front of the car. Helena suddenly found herself short of breath and her mouth dry. She had never felt such fear before.

Alfred opened the door for them and she stepped out to see a field full of limos and Rolls Royces. Outside of all of them were children saying good-bye to their parents. All the guys were dressed in suits while all the girls were wearing sun dresses.

"Good day, Mr. Wayne," a man's voice said. Helena turned to look at the speaker and saw a young man in a camp counselor's outfit. He was standing before them with his hands in his pockets. He was moving around a lot like he was antsy.

"You look familiar," her father told the kid. "Have we met before?"

"Yeah, I'm Veronica's nephew," he said apprehensively. "I interned at your company for my spring quarter. You came by our office on our first day to meet us."

"Oh yeah, I remember that," her father said. Helena couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or not. "I'm surprised you don't have another big time internship set up for the summer."

"I used to go to this camp as a kid. Its fun and I get to do something a little different. I didn't want to be stuck in an office for the entire summer."

"And the camp counseling looks a little better on the law school application," her father added.

"Why don't I get your daughter's bags," he said. Alfred opened the trunk for him and he started to pull them out of the trunk. "You must have bought a lot of stuff in a short time," he said as he pulled the three large pieces of luggage out.

"Did your aunt tell you about the shopping spree she took my daughter on?" Bruce asked the kid.

"Yes, she did," he answered. "I think I should warn you that there is a lot of buzz about you," he said to Helena. "Everyone is gossiping about the daughter of one of America's most well known bachelor's coming out of the woodwork."

Helena had no idea what to say to the kid. Luckily for her, he didn't look for a reply. "You can follow me when you're ready," he said to her.

Her father came over to her and gave her a hug. "Have fun," he said as he kissed her on the forehead. He headed back for the car and she followed the counselor. As she followed him she noticed everyone staring at her. Several people started whispering to each other when she passed by. She guessed they were talking about her.

Helena felt lost around all the people she didn't know. The counselor helped her find her cabin, where he dropped off her bags. She then followed him out to the registration tables. He pointed out the table she needed to go to and then left her on her own.

She got her schedule and information packet and found herself suddenly alone. Everyone else had friends around to talk to, Helena had no one. She looked around for anyone who might appear friendly, when her eyes fell on Olivia. She started running over to her but stopped after a few steps. She remembered that while she knew the Queens from the watchtower, she had no basis for knowing them here. If anyone asked how they knew each other they would have no answer.

"Helena?" a familiar voice called out. She turned to see Connor Queen staring at her with a quizzical look on his face. "Helena Wayne isn't it?" he repeated.

"Yeah, yes," she answered.

Connor turned around to talk to two guys who were watching them. One was tall and hefty while the other was short and stout. "I told you it was her."

He turned back to Helena. "I'm Connor, Connor Queen." He said as he extended his hand.

"Pleased to meet you," she said as she shook his hand. The two guys behind Connor started moving forward ever so slightly. Connor turned back and looked at them.

"That's chickenshit and chickenshit junior," he said to Helena.

"Why are they called that?" she asked.

"Because they were too chickenshit to want to talk to you," he answered. "I, on the other hand, had the courage to come over here and talk to you since you appeared lost."

"Such bravery, you're a real superhero," she said sarcastically. Helena felt like hugging Connor for making her feel at ease in these strange surroundings.

"So do you understand your schedule and everything?" he asked her.

"I'm actually having trouble understanding this map. I let one of the counselor's take my luggage to the cabin, but I didn't follow him there. I'm not sure how to follow this and find the cabins."

Connor looked at it like he was going to point things out for her, but backed away. "I should just have my sister show you where everything is."

"Olivia!" he yelled. The young girl popped her head up to find her brother. When she saw him with Helena she smirked.

Olivia showed Helena around and introduced her to some girls. Everyone was extremely curious about who Bruce Wayne's daughter was and where she came from. Helena deflected their questions, but satiated their appetite for gossip with some stories about her father and his attempts to tone down his lifestyle when she moved in with him.

Helena found most of the activities at the camp low key and even boring. The one thing she really enjoyed was the archery competition they had the second day. She was a master at it, as Artemis had taught her well. She didn't hold back too much in the competition, as she really wanted to win. She did well, but not ridiculously well like she could have if she really tried.

After the competition the counselors told the girls that as the winner Helena had won the award of a sushi dinner. A counselor was to take her and the male winner from the same age group; she was later told the boys' winner was Connor Queen. When the other girls found out Connor was going they all teased her playfully about her 'date.' Later, before she went out, they helped her get ready and did her hair for her.

The dinner itself was uneventful. Helena had never had sushi before and Connor helped her pick something out that wasn't too spicy. After dinner, they rode back with the counselors. The counselor was going to drop Connor off, then drive to the girls' area to drop off Helena. When the car got a flat tire right outside the camp Helena and Connor just chose to walk back, with Connor willing to walk Helena to the girls' camp and make sure she found her way there.

While walking back they passed the archery fields. The bows had been left behind and there were still a couple of arrows stuck in the target.

"Just how did you do in your competition?" Connor asked her when they passed the bows.

"I put three in the inner yellow circle," she answered. "I could have done better, but I didn't want too many questions about where I learned to shoot like that. What about you?"

"Same thing," he said as he checked the strength of the bow. "I could have done a lot better."

"Just how much better?" Helena asked him.

"Three straight bulls eyes," he answered.

Helena laughed at his bravado. "Really?" she asked.

"Of course, if you don't believe me, I could do it right now and prove you wrong."

"I would like to see you try," she said as she walked over and pulled the arrows out of the target. "But let's make this interesting. Why don't we compete to see who is better?"

"Sounds good," Connor replied. "Why don't we play for a prize?"

"What did you have in mind?" Helena asked him.

Helena looked over at him and he had a stupid grin on his face. "How about if I win, I get a kiss?"

Helena wasn't sure whether to laugh or sigh over what he said. She figured he wouldn't win, so she thought she would just humor him. "Okay, if you win, I'll kiss you. Just on the cheek, though."

"That's fine with me." Connor was smiling from ear to ear. "What do you want if you win?"

"Not having to kiss you will be enough of a reward for me." She was being playful, but didn't give it away with her tone. Connor seemed a bit dejected over what she said.

They started their competition with each of them hitting two shots directly at the bull's eye. Connor took his third shot and hit the bulls eye directly, threading the needle between the other four arrows on the target.

"Looks like the only way you can win is to fire your arrow through mine," Connor said. "I don't care how strong you are, you're never going to be able to do that with these bows."

Helena realized Connor was right about the bows. She took a hold of the arrow and looked around to make sure no one else was watching. She thought back to how the other Amazons had taught her to throw a spear. She revved back and threw the arrow at the target. It went through Connor's arrow and disintegrated it, sticking in the bull's eye.

"Dammit," Connor expressed. "I would complain you didn't exactly follow the rules, but I'm afraid you'll get pissed off and break me."

Connor walked Helena back to the girls' cabins. When they reached them Helena faced Connor with her back to the cabin so she could thank him and say good-bye. "You know, I didn't really win fair and square back there. You deserve your reward."

She put her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek. Just as she was pulling away something came over her and she decided to give him a kiss on the lips as well. She pressed her lips against his, meaning to just give him a peck. When it hit her this was her first kiss ever, she lingered, as she didn't want it to end. He started kissing her back and she pulled away.

"That was a lot more then you had to do," Connor said.

"I know," she replied.

Connor looked past her at the cabin behind her. "You do realize we're being watched?"

"I'm Batman's daughter," she whispered to him. "I can feel their eyes on me."

Helena was brought back into the present by Connor wrapping his arms around her and kissing the back of her neck. "Stop it," she said as she giggled. "We both have other places we need to get to."

"I have an hour before I have to meet my mother to take the plane to Star City," he whispered into her ear. A second later he rolled over and away from her. "Okay, the mention of my mother just completely killed the mood. I've lost it."

She sat up at the edge of the bed and adjusted her hair. She felt Connor's fingers work their way along her exposed spine. "Call me when you get back in, I want to know everything about how tonight goes."

"It won't be that much different from any other night," she said as she started to dress.

"What do you mean?" he replied, stunned by what she said. "You are going to be out on your own, no one watching over your shoulder."

"My dad is going to be watching everything I do through a camera; he's going to be in constant contact with me."

"Yeah, that's true, but you are going to have full responsibility for the city now. People are going to think of you as the city's protector instead of Batman. That's exciting."

"Yeah, I guess it is," she said. She leaned over to pull up her stockings and noticed a magazine sticking out of Connor's bag. She could make out the Maxim cover of the magazine and knew immediately it was the new issue that had her pictorial in it. They had done a story on her as the country's most famous socialite. She picked up the magazine and started thumbing through it.

"So you just had to pick this up right away," she said to Connor as she turned to the layout. She blushed with a tinge of embarrassement over the lingerie and implied nudity pictures of herself she was looking at.

"Didn't they show you any proofs of the layout and article?" he asked.

"I know they sent them over, but I never got around to looking at them," she replied. She scanned through the article and started reading the paragraph on her family history.

The wealth of the Wayne family goes back generations. Each generation has alternated between taking direct control of the company, or being hands off and finding time for more humanitarian pursuits. Helena's grandfather, Thomas, was a doctor who ran a clinic before he was viciously murdered. Her father Bruce, despite his playboy ways, took over direct control of the company from the men his father had left in charge of it. At this point in time it is too early to see which direction the daughter might take.

Her demeanor changed instantly when she read about her grandfather and his savage murder. She closed up the magazine and tossed it aside. She let out a loud sigh.

"Is something wrong?" Connor asked her.

She finished dressing and got off the bed without saying anything to Connor. She grabbed his clothes and threw them at him. "You should get dressed and get to the plane. You have to patrol tonight." She spoke in a huff that made it obvious she was mad at him.

"What's going on," he said to her as she walked to the door. "What did I say?" she heard as she walked out.

Helena sat in the SUV in the middle of the cemetery. She had grabbed the car that was kept at Wayne Tower and had driven out immediately after leaving Connor at the hotel. She realized she acted completely wrong and knew she would have to apologize to him. She didn't feel like doing it now and decided to wait. She preferred calling when he would be in the air and she could just leave a message on his voice mail.

She sat in the car and looked out at all the tombstones. She had been to the cemetery several times, but never alone. She had always come here with her father.

She was apprehensive about getting out. She was just going to visit a gravesite, but it felt to her like she was going to meet actual people. The shadow of her grandparents loomed large in her life. She felt like she had betrayed them earlier by being excited about her first night out alone. Her grandparents had been murdered when they took her father to see Zorro as a young child. They were murdered right in front of him and it scarred him for life and inspired him to become Batman.

Helena had never fully understood how much their deaths affected him until she came to live with him. He made regular visits to the cemetery and the alley where they died. She especially remembered the first time he brought her here, when he told her about the promise he made to them to protect Gotham.

Helena got out of the car and slowly walked up the hill in front of her. As she walked towards the top she saw the huge tombstone emerge before her. The tombstone was much taller than she was, with WAYNE just a little under her eye line. A tear came to her eye as she read her grandparents' names, dates of birth, and dates of deaths. She looked over the inscriptions her father had added listing them as a loving father and mother.

Standing in front of the grave made her relieved her father was giving up the job of superhero. She looked at the plots adjacent to her grandparents', which her father also owned. For a long time she was afraid he was going to end up there much sooner then he should have.

She had come out to the grave because she felt like talking to them. Her father did it a little. She remembered him telling her a story about how he thought it was dumb, until he ran into a woman here who convinced him otherwise.

"Hey, it's me, your granddaughter, in case you didn't know," she began. "It's been a while since I've come to see you. I came by. . .I'm not entirely sure why I came. I'm sure you can see everything wherever you are and know your son is quitting as Batman. He lived up to the promise he made to you. He did all he can and now I'm taking over for him. I swear I will keep your memory alive. I will fight as hard as I can to honor you."

She heard something behind her and turned to see her father standing there. She forced a smile at him. "I didn't mean to interrupt you," he said.

"It's okay, I was just finished. How did you know I was here?"

"I didn't," her father replied. He walked up and stood beside her. "I came to talk to them myself, but from what I heard, you already went over everything I had to say."

Bruce simply stared at the tombstone. He could feel Helena's eyes on him. "What are you staring at me for?" he asked her.

"You look different from all the other times we come here," she said. "You seem more at ease, like a great weight has been lifted from your shoulders."

Bruce looked at his daughter slyly. "I do feel like a burden has been lifted," he said. "It's up to you to keep it that way," he said with a smile.

"Oh my God," Helena exclaimed. "I have never seen you talk and smile at the same time. You are changing."

"I'm not giving everything up. You are still going to have to deal with me following everything you do."

"I'm aware of that, Dad," she told him. "I have to go on that scouting mission, and this is going to have to be one time where you don't follow what I do."

"Why is that?" he asked her as she walked away.

"Because I am going to have to do some things I don't want my father to know about," she yelled back at him.

Helena parked the SUV in front of the old apartment of Olivia's mother. Oliver had bought the building Dinah lived in as she could never bring herself to part with her old home. It served as a place for the family members to stay whenever they were in the area. Connor used to use it a good deal, but Olivia was using it a lot more as she was spending more and more time in Bludhaven. Her and Richie were young, but were developing quite the intense relationship.

After Helena called Olivia and told her she was outside, she waited patiently for the girl to come out. Olivia came out wearing a black tank top with a denim mini-skirt and fishnets. Her make-up was done up to make her look like a Goth. The look was completely overdone, but that was what they often had to do to look like vapid socialites.

"This place better not be too much of a dive," Olivia said as she got in the car. She looked over Helena, who was still wearing the skimpy sun dress. "I have a reputation to uphold."

"You've forgotten how this works," Helena said. "The minute we walk inside it becomes the hottest bar in town."


	6. Chapter 6: The Cellar

**Chapter 6**

"It's a uh, beautiful night, uh, isn't it," Rex said to Maril.

"It's more like a pretty average night for Tamaran," Maril said, correcting him. The two of them were walking through the royal gardens. Rex had said he wanted to take one last trip through them, so they could have a little alone time before they headed to his farewell dinner. Rex thought Maril didn't know what was coming, but with her detective skills he wasn't exactly willing to bet on it.

Maril was wearing a long, elegant red dress that Rex thought belonged in the evening gown competition of a beauty pageant, not a small farewell party. While the bottom of the dress fell all the way to the floor, the top did not do as much to cover her modesty. It was strapless and cut low, giving exposure to her ample bosom. At least it would have, if she hadn't brushed out her long and thick hair so much that it almost completely covered her back and front.

The two of them reached the edge of the gardens. The gardens ended in a cliff that overlooked the city. The high vantage point also gave them a good look at the night sky.

"There it is, Thanagar," Maril said as she pointed to a bright star in the sky.

"Yes, I know," Rex replied, his mouth dry with nervousness.

"On Earth, I'll look up at it every day and think of you," she said.

Rex remembered back to when they were kids, and the very first night when they located Thanagar in the night sky of Earth. They had snuck out to play around the oak tree on the hill near the Metrotower.

"Do you remember the first night we found it in the night sky on Earth?" he asked her.

"Of course," she replied. "We all snuck out in the middle of the night so I could show you guys where Tamaran was. You asked if I knew where Thanagar was and I pointed it out for you."

What Rex remembered so well, was the way she pointed it out to him. He was having trouble finding it, so she came up behind him and pointed it out for him. She was so close to him he could feel her breath on his neck. It was that moment when he knew there was a spark between them.

"Do you remember we saw a shooting star that night?" Maril asked him.

"Yeah, we all made a wish on it, and we all wished for the same thing, to be the most powerful superhero on the planet." Rex started laughing thinking about that night. "We all revealed our wishes, and you got mad at us because you said by doing so we were keeping them from coming true. Of course, none of us quite understood we couldn't all be the most powerful superhero anyway."

"I never did say what I wished for," Maril told him.

Rex was puzzled by her reply. "But after we all went you said you wished for the same thing as well."

"That wasn't what I actually wished for," she replied.

"Well, I guess I could ask you to reveal what you wished for, but then it might not come true."

"I'm not worried about that superstition, because I think my wish is about to come true," she said.

Rex had to think for a little while about what she said. His eyes grew wide as it dawned on him what she was talking about. "Do you mean. . ." he was so stunned he couldn't finish the sentence.

"That I wished one day I would be marrying you? Yes, I did."

Rex was startled by this revelation. He was overjoyed to know it, but a little disappointed she had figured out he was proposing.

"Don't feel bad that I knew you were proposing," she said. "It just shows how well we know each other."

"You're right, I guess it does," Rex said as he pulled out the ring. He dropped to one knee and Maril started crying.

"I had this whole speech planned, but-"

"I'd like to hear it," she said as she wiped some tears away.

"Okay," Rex said as he struggled to remember what the speech was supposed to be. Everything suddenly came back to him and he took a deep breath before he started. "When I get to Thanagar, I know my grandparents are going to ask me if I'm seeing anyone. I can't wait to tell them I have the most incredible girl in the world, but I don't want to tell them she is merely my girlfriend. I want to tell them we are going to spend the rest of our lives together. So I need to know, Maril, will you marry me."

Maril took a moment to look at the ring before she said yes. Rex put it on her finger as he stood. The two embraced and kissed for so long a servant had to come and find them and bring them in for dinner.

Helena and Olivia sat in the car outside the Cellar. "That place doesn't look bad at all," Olivia said. "But it appears to be a bunch of older guys going in there."

"Doesn't matter, the young'uns will start showing up once we are in," Helena informed her. "They should have at least one young bartender, that's all we need."

Helena got out of the car and Olivia followed her. They walked through the door and the minute they reached the downstairs bar all the heads turned their way and everyone stopped talking. They were met by skeptical looks of everyone in the bar.

There was no music playing so everything became quiet real quick. After a few seconds of quiet, people started whispering to each other, they were asking their friends if the two girls were who they thought they were. When Helena saw people whipping out their cell phones she knew things were proceeding as they needed to and she led Olivia to the bar.

Olivia sat up on the bar and crossed her legs. Helena leaned over it and the middle aged bartender came over to service them. "Two Martinis, please," she said in a high pitched voice.

"Aren't you two a little young to be buying alcohol?" the bartender asked them.

Olivia laid out on the bar and started running a finger along the arm of one of the regulars sitting there. "What if someone else, like this guy, bought the alcohol for us, would that be okay?"

"We can't have you drinking on the premises at all. We could lose our. . ."

"But no place else we go ever has a problem serving us," Helena said to him. She leaned closer to him so she could talk to him quietly. "Most places would die to have Helena Wayne and Olivia Queen seen partying at their bar. Look around, everyone is on their cell phone telling their friends we're here. If you don't want the huge crowd that is about to descend on this place, please don't serve us and we can go somewhere else."

The bartender looked around at all the other patrons. Anyone who hadn't been on their cell phone before grabbed it the minute Helena confirmed who they were. The bartender suddenly realized how much money would slip away if he told them to leave.

"Your friend is right, it's not a big deal as long as you don't buy the alcohol," he said as he started taking out what he needed for the martinis. "Since these will be on the house, you won't actually be buying them."

"Thank you," Olivia said as she sat up on the bar again. The bartender gave them their drinks and then made a call. It didn't take super hearing to overhear the conversation. He was calling in more help for the coming crowd. The guy on the other line was protesting, but a mention of Helena's name seemed to be all he needed to convince the other guy to come in. He hung up the phone and checked on the two girls to make sure they had everything they needed.

The bar filled with people pretty quickly. Helena and Olivia mostly kept to themselves. Every once in a while a guy would get the courage to talk to them, but they didn't talk long.

When a young bartender finally walked in Helena knew she had her mark. She called him over under the premise she wanted to do some shots with Olivia. She talked with him for a long time and struck up a rapport with him. When he finally brought the girls two shots Olivia declined hers and the bartender had to drink it.

Instead of letting him leave she started talking to him about the bar. He knew the history of it and how it used to be a speakeasy during prohibition. She said she found that fascinating and mentioned that she had heard stories about how most speakeasies had secret passages for transporting the alcohol. She asked him if this place had one, and he suddenly became coy.

Helena changed gears and started flirting with the guy. Now that she had him thinking about any secret passages, she mentioned that it would be nice if there was a quiet, secluded place they could go. She could see the man was having trouble holding his composure. He poured himself a shot to calm his nerves and told her they had a downstairs office they could go to.

Helena sat up on the bar, through her feet to the other side, and slid down. She wrapped her arms around the bartender and started nibbling his ear. She whispered in his ear she would like to see the place and he hurriedly led her down there. They went to the office and he closed the door behind them. She was going to ask him some questions about the place, but he immediately started kissing her. He walked her over to a wall and pushed her up against it. She took out a sonar device and hid it behind a bookshelf.

The bartender tried to reach second base and she had to push his hands away. "Doesn't anyone believe in foreplay anymore," she said slyly as she pushed him away.

"Sorry," he said as she walked to the back of the office. "You're just so beautiful."

She leaned over the desk so he could get a good look at her cleavage. "Are you just going to stand there with your mouth open like a dumbass or are you going to chase me?" she said in a sultry voice.

He hesitantly walked over to her and she met him. They started kissing and this time she pushed him up against a wall. She took another sonar device and lifted up a picture on the back wall slightly in order to hide the device behind the picture. She did this without the guy noticing a thing.

The guy felt up her ass and once again Helena had to back up. "Can't we take things slow?" she asked as she moved back and sat up on the desk.

"How slow did you have in mind?" he asked her.

"All night, till the place closes," she said as she leaned forward again.

"We have three hours until the owner's friend needs it," he said in a hurry as he moved to kiss her again.

"What's that?" she asked as she held him at bay.

"We have the place for three hours, that's more than enough time-"

"I can't work with that little time," she said as she walked away from him. She looked back and he was completely dumbfounded. She had everything she needed and it was time to leave. She wondered if this would make the tabloids, not that she cared.

Helena reached the upper floor to find Olivia dancing around on the bar and singing a Blondie song that was playing on the radio. She walked up to her so she could grab her to leave. Olivia leaned over to sing to her and Helena pulled her down. She then dragged her out of the bar.

When they were alone in their SUV with its tinted windows they could be themselves. "Thanks for being my wing girl," Helena told Olivia. "I got everything I need."

She pulled her phone out to contact her father and noticed a message from Maril. "Oh my God, look," she yelled to Olivia as she held the phone in between them so they could both watch the video message. Maril gave a quick explanation on how Rex proposed and showed them the ring. She promised Helena she would see her the moment she got back to Earth.

After watching the message again Helena called her father and told him the meeting was in three hours and the sonar devices were in place. She then dropped Olivia off at her apartment so she could change into her Black Arrow outfit and take her bike over to Bludhaven.

Diana flew down into the Batcave carrying Helena's gift. Once inside the cave, she saw him working at the Batcomputer and slowly walked up to him. As she walked up to him she passed the case holding Jason Todd's Robin costume, and was reminded how that event led them to get married. Her mind started wondering and she thought about how she had been both looking forward to and dreading this day since Helena was born.

Eighteen years ago, as Diana approached her due date, she went to stay on Themyscira so her Amazonian sisters could be her midwives. She was mostly unplugged from the happenings of the League, but one day she heard the Code Red alarm emanating from her communicator. Even though she couldn't do anything, she couldn't just ignore the alarm. She grabbed the communicator and put it in her ear so she could hear the intercom chatter.

She heard J'onn alert the League about some monster that had emerged from the depths of the Earth. He was calling in all superheroes because the American military and the first group of superheroes to meet it were all subdued. For the next several hours she listened to the messages of each Leaguer as they described the unstoppable beast. He was rampaging across the US destroying everything in his path. The League had no idea what would defeat him, so initially they were very cautious. They held everyone back and tried to save the people in the creature's path while they hit him with every long distance weapon they had. None of the weapons had any effect, and soon the all the super powered heroes simply ganged up on him. They fought him ferociously, but he fought even harder. As Diana listened to the fight she was pained that she couldn't be there, she knew they really could have used her help.

Superman stayed out of it, initially. He was still keeping a low profile after the episode with Darkseid and the invasion of Apokolips. The League needed the full cooperation of all the local rescue workers and military and police forces. This was better achieved by having Superman take an unseen leadership role.

Most of the heroes couldn't take the punishment the creature gave them. Superman was directing them, and practically every minute he was telling another hero to break off, that they would just get themselves killed if they continued to fight. Diana knew it must be tough for them to admit they couldn't do much good, but she knew Superman was still held in such high esteem among the Justice League they would obey him.

It wasn't long until the creature reached Metropolis, and there was no super hero in any condition to fight him but Superman. He initiated a fight with him and the two gladiators were soon tussling over the entire city. As Diana listened, she wondered how Superman could face the creature alone when a whole team of super beings could do nothing. As she listened to descriptions of what was happening, it seemed that Superman found a level of strength he never knew he had before.

Bruce had long told Diana that Clark was much stronger physically then he ever showed. Bruce believed that under his mother's tutelage he had actually learned to put up psychological barriers to restrain his powers, as full use of them would have made it easy for him to harm everyone around him. Bruce had believed that his brainwashing by Darkseid removed those barriers. That was why he killed Kara so easily. However, after he became himself again, the barriers returned.

As Diana listened to a description of the fight between Superman and Darkseid, she started having contractions. She didn't think much of it, she believed it was just a response to the anxiety she was having. As the fight continued, and the pains worsened, she remembered how many women went into labor due to stress and fear. She began to think that she might be going through that.

As she listened to the fight she heard the descriptions of the injuries Clark was sustaining. She had never known him to suffer injuries like that and knew he couldn't be holding up well. She tried to listen hard to what was happening, but the sounds from the communicator soon became drowned out by her own screams of pain. She clutched her stomach as she fell to the ground. She felt the lower half of her robes become wet and she knew her water had broken.

"Mother, mother," she shouted. "It's coming," she yelled again.

The young looking Amazon Alexis ran into the room and helped Diana into her bed. The reassurance that came from having another person present eased Diana's pain enough to allow her to hear that the creature and Superman both laid what appeared to be fatal blows on each other.

"You should take that communicator out," Alexis said, oblivious to what was happening. Diana grabbed Alexis' hand as she reached for it.

"It stays in," she barked at the girl. "There is a communicator in my ship. Go out there and try to contact Bruce. Tell him what's happening."

"Artemis can handle the communication," Diana heard her mother's voice say. "Alexis needs to stay here and help you."

Diana looked around Alexis to see her mother waking towards her. She couldn't see Artemis, but guessed she had gone to do what she was told. When her mother reached her, she could tell her daughter was dealing with more than just the birth of her child.

"Why do you need the communicator, dear?" she asked.

"I think Superman just died," she said with tears welling up in her eyes. "There was no sound coming through her communicator anymore. Whoever had been narrating the fight was too shocked to speak."

"You have other things to worry about," her mother replied as she stroked her daughter's face. She looked her over, taking in the wet robes.

For the next couple hours her sisters helped her deal with her labor pains. She had really wanted Bruce by her side, but Artemis had been unable to reach him directly. She prayed in all the commotion nothing happened to him.

She continued to listen to the news on Superman through her labor. Every superhero around tried to do whatever they could to revive him. Nothing worked. After several failed attempts they cleared the area so Captain Atom could blast him with as much yellow sun radiation as he could muster.

As Diana listened in to what the superheroes were doing, her pains increased greatly. Alexis looked under her robes and announced the baby was coming. Diana started pushing as she heard Captain Atom begin his attempt to revive Clark. He hit Clark with everything he had, but he couldn't see any signs of life out of him. Finally, he gave up. The other superheroes rushed back in to check on Superman. Diana heard all their chatter as she made her final push. Dr. Fate pronounced Superman dead right as Diana heard her baby cry for the first time. Her mother proudly proclaimed she had given birth to a beautiful girl. Her sisters quickly wiped the baby off and handed her to Diana. Helena stopped crying as she looked for the first time at her mother's face. Diana looked back as the tears over Superman's death mixed with her tears of joy over having her first child.

Her sisters soon left her alone and Diana tried to put Clark's death out of her mind as she tried to enjoy her first moments with her daughter. She only managed to forget about Clark when she started thinking about Bruce and whether or not he was okay. She had no idea where he was during everything and wondered why Artemis couldn't reach him.

Helena fell asleep after an hour and Diana laid her in the cradle. With the baby asleep, Diana's mind really started going through scenarios about what could have happened to Bruce. Just as she convinced herself he had to be dead the Batwing flew overhead.

Diana breathed a huge sigh of relief as she watched it circle back around. The vehicle landed in a nearby clearing and Bruce, in costume, jumped out. He ran up to Diana's room and when he saw they were alone he removed his mask.

Bruce was always most comfortable with the mask on, for some reason Diana never knew. Alfred and Diana were always the only two people he consistently removed his mask for while in costume. She was surprised he had removed the mask this time and revealed the look on his face to her. He had a look of sadness and defeat she had only seen once before; after Jason had died.

"Where is the baby?" he asked as he reached them. Diana didn't need to answer as his eyes immediately fell upon the cradle by Diana's bed. Bruce went over and picked up his daughter and held her in his arms. There was little change in his facial expression as he did so.

"It's a girl," Diana told him.

"So her name is Helena then," he said with just a hint of happiness.

Helena opened her eyes briefly to look at her father. Without changing her expression either, she closed them again and went back to sleep. Bruce continued to look at her as he held her.

Diana could tell he was happy, but knew something was nagging at him. She knew it was more than just Superman's death. She had to ask him about it.

"Were. . .were you there when he died?" she asked.

"I saw the beginning of the fight, but it wasn't long until there were people who needed rescuing. I didn't make it to Clark until long after he had died at the hands of the creature. I was there when everyone gave their best efforts to revive him, for almost two hours I could barely think of anything."

He continued holding their daughter. He shifted her and brought her closer to him. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for the two of you," he said.

"We were fine," she replied.

"I didn't think I was going to have to worry about her," Bruce admitted abruptly. "I thought she would be strong enough I would never have to worry about her suffering the fate Jason did. But now, after Clark-" Bruce had to fight back tears. It was the first time Diana had ever seen him cry. Even with Jason's death there wasn't tears, just a melancholy and a never-ending sadness.

"With Clark's death I can't stop thinking there are things that could harm and kill even her and you."

Diana had been having the same fears and she was glad to have Bruce give voice to them. "I worry for her too," she declared. "There is always the possibility she won't want to follow in our footsteps."

Bruce glanced up at her and then back at Helena. "I don't think any child of mine is going to decline the opportunity to be a superhero."

For a moment Diana thought about keeping Helena on the island forever. After all, Diana had spent two millennia in isolation on Themyscira. The thought flashed in her mind for just a second as she watched Bruce with their daughter. She knew she could never keep her daughter chained to this island. She knew it would have been the wrong thing to do.

"We're going to have to train her," Bruce said softly. "She's going to have to train her entire life, just as I did. If we train her right, she can have my skill with your power. Maybe then, we won't have to worry about anyone ever killing her."

"Are you going to talk to me, or are you going to remain silent until Helena comes back?" Bruce asked her.

"I didn't mean to be rude," she answered. "I was just thinking about something."

Bruce didn't ask her what she was thinking about. Instead he continued with his work on the computer.

Diana walked closer to him and laid the gift down on the evidence table. She looked at the monitor to see what he was doing. He was looking at a computerized mock-up of some underground room. She had seen this kind of thing before; he had small devices that could send out radar pulses to show all the details of a room and the position of anyone inside it.

"What are you looking at?" she asked him.

"A mock-up of a room in a bar where I thought a weapons sale would be going down tonight," he answered.

"How did you get the radar devices in there?" she asked.

"Helena put them there. She said it was best if I don't know how she did it."

Diana smiled over Helena's attempts to protect her father. As she continued to watch him work on the computer she saw he was moving the model away from examining the room itself. There were apparently passageways lining the outside of the room and Bruce was bringing up all the information he could find on them.

"What are you looking at now?" she asked.

"The new devices I have take images of what is on the other side of the wall. They can't give us any details, but they can tell us where the hollow spots are where there might be secret passageways and escape tunnels. I'm pulling up any information I can find on the old subway tunnels and sewers that may have been used for smuggling into the bar. It's likely the meeting that is taking place tonight is taking place in one of these abandoned passageways. The information I'm pulling up appears incomplete, I can find tunnels that lead around the bar, but nothing to it. Helena is going to have to find a passageway on her own."

"Sounds fun," Diana heard her daughter say as she walked down the stairs to the Batcave. "I thought the meeting would be in that old office. It's secluded enough."

"But the only way to enter or leave is to go through the bar. That would be too conspicuous, even if it was happening when the place was closed. Our seller likely gave out the information on how to travel the tunnels to reach the room. There's a subway track which runs parallel to the tunnels he must be using. You will have to go along it and find a way to get through."

"Why don't you have Helena make a frontal assault?" Diana asked.

"Because we need the element of surprise," Bruce answered. "If she tries to go through the bar they will have enough time to make their escape." Bruce looked around his wife and saw Helena doing something she shouldn't. "Hey, don't touch that yet."

Helena pulled her hand away from the gift. "Sorry, just a little curious."

"If you want to see it you should go and change," her father told her. Without saying a word, she followed his advice and headed for the changing tent.

Helena pulled her second boot all the way up and inspected it. It still fit snugly, but not too snug. The purple leather was still shiny and the white trim around the boots was still clean and bright.

She adjusted her suit slightly. She ran her fingers along the edges of her bikini bottoms, making sure they covered her ass properly. She next adjusted the metal brassiere to make sure it clung to her breasts enough that she wouldn't pop out when she moved.

She inspected herself in the mirror. Her costume was mostly modeled after her mother's. It was essentially a swimsuit with a dark purple bottom and a light purple top. A metallic yellow circle was emblazoned across her bosom. It contained a crest she had made for herself that consisted of a dark purple 'W' superimposed over a light purple 'H'. She had created the symbol as homage to the gold circle with the dark blue bat symbol her father used to wear on his chest. The 'W' of her crest had its ends curved similar to the way the wings of her father's bat symbol were curved. In a similar vein, the lines of her 'H' were pointed like the bat ears in the bat symbol.

She turned back to the bench and grabbed the utility belt and inspected it to make sure it contained everything she needed. When she had confirmed that, she checked the harness for her crossbow, making sure it was attached correctly.

"Are you going to be done soon?" her mother yelled to her. Helena was hidden from her parents by the curtains. "We're anxious to see you're costume," she added.

Helena knew her mother was incorrectly speaking for her father when she said they were both anxious to see her costume. Her father didn't do anxious, or care enough about costumes to get excited about that kind of thing. "Hold on, it's not like this is prom," she tried to remind them as she buckled her utility belt around her waist.

"I won't be too much longer, I promise," she yelled out to her parents. She grabbed her crossbow and looked it over. When she was young, Mercury took notice of her archery skills and gave her one of his bows as a gift. A year ago, when she started putting together her new superhero identity, Artemis helped her convert the bow into a crossbow.

When she was done looking the crossbow over, she closed it up and put it in its harness. She grabbed her dark purple cape and wrapped it around herself. With most f fthe costume on, she could let her hair down. She undid her ponytail and let her wavy hair fall around her face.

She then grabbed the final piece of her costume; the Amazonian gauntlets her grandmother, Queen Hippolyta, had given her a couple months ago. They were dark purple like the rest of her outfit. The one for her left hand had a computer built into it. When she put them on, she could feel a force pulsing through her and increasing her strength.

With the bench now bare she looked herself over in the mirror. . She looked herself up and down, smiling over the job she did on her costume. She hoped the mask her parents had for her would fit in with the rest of it.

"I'm done," she yelled to her parents. "Get your cameras ready," she said to them in a joking tone. She walked to the edge of the curtains and paused, taking a deep breath. She was quite anxious as she wondered what her parents were going to think of her costume. She felt dumb for getting worked up over it. She thought back to earlier in the day when she had been at her grandparents' tombstone. It reminded her there were more important things to be thinking about.

She took a deep breath and pushed aside the curtains as she walked out of the tent. She tried to suppress a smile as her parents looked over her costume. She was quite proud of the job she did on it and the way she designed something that honored both of them. She hoped her parents would feel the same way.

As her parents looked her over she grabbed her cape with both hands and held it back so they could get a good view of the full costume. Her mother was expressionless as she looked over her daughter. Helena thought she saw the beginnings of a smile, though, when she was done. Her father, on the other hand, didn't look her over for too long as he averted his eyes the second he saw her exposed cleavage.

"Is something wrong Dad?" she said through a giggle, as she saw him looking around uncomfortably.

"No, nothing's wrong," he said unconvincingly. He glanced over at Wonder Woman to make sure she knew she was to blame for the skimpiness of their daughter's outfit.

"Now, you need just one more thing," her mother said to her. She grabbed the gift from the evidence table and handed it to Helena.

"I didn't think you would go through the trouble of gift wrapping it" she said to them.

"It's hard to find good gifts to give you," her mother said. "We couldn't think when else we might get the chance to give you something like this."

Helena held it for a while merely inspecting the wrapping. She was surprised, but she was actually getting emotional over the moment.

"Go ahead and open it," her father said to her.

She grabbed one end of the bow and pulled it apart. The ribbon came undone and fell from the gift. She tore the wrapping paper off the package to reveal a plain white box. She opened the top of it, pulled back the flaps, and took a good look at what was inside.

Helena was looking at the front of the mask her parents' had made for her. The mask was metallic and consisted of a light purple tiara that had been designed to mimic her mother's tiara. There was a dark purple star in the center of it, the same design as her mother's. The mask that came down from the tiara resembled her father's cowl and was dark purple in color.

Helena pulled it out of the box and inspected the whole thing as the box hit the floor. Now that it was out of the box, Helena could see the mask would only cover the front of her face. It didn't circle her whole head like her father's cowl. The other thing Helena noticed was the dark purple of the mask streaked through the light purple of the tiara and formed two bat ears, one on each side of the mask.

Helena was taken aback by how perfect the mask was. It encompassed elements of the costumes of both her father and mother. She absolutely loved it. Despite her best efforts, a smile actually started forming on her lips.

"Is that. . .is that a smile," her mother asked, almost screeching. "Is our daughter actually smiling over something we did for her?"

"I think we might have finally done something right," her father added.

Helena couldn't suppress it anymore, a huge grin spread across her lips. "Thank you," she said to them. "I love it."

"Maril helped us with the color scheme," her father informed her. "You should remember to thank her."

"Try it on," her mother commanded.

Helena turned the mask around and slowly placed it over her head. For a moment everything went dark until the mask was in place and she could see through her eye holes.

"Can you see through it?" her father asked. Your mother was worried about that."

"Can you still breathe? Your father was worried about that," her mother said.

"I can breathe and see just fine," she told the two of them.

"Now, there's just one more thing," her father told her. He held out a small earpiece and Helena took it from him.

"You put a camera in my helmet, didn't you?" she asked her father as she put the speaker in her ear.

"Among other things. I can give you valuable assistance from back here in the cave," her father said to her.

"I know that. I don't mind you watching over me." As she talked she turned away from them and walked towards the vehicles.

"Which one are you taking?" her father asked.

"The bike," she said as she turned her head to glance back at the two of them. "I kind of want to be seen on my first night out."

She walked to the bike and mounted it. Before she started it up she looked over at her parents again. "Don't wait up for me," she said to them in a deep and gravelly voice. She started the bike up and rode out of the cave.

When Helena was gone Diana looked over at Bruce with a scowl on her face. "You just had to convince her to go with the growling voice, didn't you?"


	7. Chapter 7: Crippled Bat

**Chapter 7**

As Helena rode her bike to the city, excitement surged through her, despite her previous misgivings about that feeling. As she thought about her father back at the cave she breathed a sigh of relief. He was done as a superhero, meaning she had accomplished the task her mother had given her when she sent her to live with him several years earlier: she had kept him safe.

Helena was eleven when her grandmother finally let her take part in the Amazonian sparring contests. Helena had been taught to fight ever since she was old enough to walk. By the time she was ten she could hold her own against any Amazon. After a year of pleading with her grandmother, she was finally allowed to enter into the contest and prove her mettle in real competition.

Her mother was extremely proud her daughter was a good enough fighter to enter into the competition. When it took place her father was invited out to watch and to her and her mother's surprise, actually came. Helena was seeded low, and thus had to match up against Artemis early on in the contest. While Artemis eventually won, Helena lasted several rounds and made the much more experienced fighter earn her win. Helena was thrilled with how well she had done and her mother was as well. Her father was a completely different story.

He had watched the fight with her mother and grandmother, but disappeared right after Artemis had been declared the winner. After she received her congratulations from her mother and grandmother, she went to find her father. Her mother had suggested she look around the fighting practice rings that were around the main coliseum.

Helena ran to the nearest ring and found her father moving around the dirt inside the stone ring. He was wearing his complete costume, including the cowl, even though everyone on the island knew who he was. He looked ridiculous to Helena the way he was dancing around inside the ring. She was reminded for a moment there were a lot of things she didn't understand and would probably never understand about her father.

Helena was standing on the edge of the forest, hidden by the last few bushes that separated the forest from the clearing for the practice ring. At least, she thought she was hidden. She knew she could be seen if her father had really been looking for her, but he was still moving around and not paying attention to his surroundings. She was proven wrong when he stopped instantly and looked at her.

"Are you just going to stand there all day watching me, or are you going to come out here so I can teach you something?" Helena was astonished he had noticed her, but she obediently walked out to the ring.

"What were you doing?" she asked in reference to the way he had been moving around just a minute earlier.

"I was going through your fight with Artemis," he replied.

It took her a while to understand what he was saying. "You were re-enacting my fight?" she asked, incredulous he could have actually remembered every step.

"Yes, if you knew how to read an opponent's style and look for patterns, you could have easily beaten her. She has certain moves she uses over and over. If you knew those moves you could have found a way to anticipate them and found a way to counteract them."

Helena was angry her father was implying she could have easily beaten the woman. Artemis was the strongest fighter on the island after her mother.

"How could you expect me to beat her, she's the-"

"The best fighter on Themyscira," her father said, finishing her sentence for her. "You need to learn there are much more powerful beings off the island. Losing to her in a play-fight is just a sign you would lose a fight to a lot of powerful beings out there."

Helena was really getting angry at her father right now. Nothing she did was ever good enough. "She's still a great fighter. One day, I'll beat her and then I'll beat whoever else is out there. I'm being trained to be a greater fighter than even my mother."

"You'll be better than your mother for sure, but that's still not the best you could be," her father said. "The Amazons have spent an eternity on this island having nothing but play-fights. Your mother is different because she got off the island from time to time. She was involved in real fights. The other Amazons have gone soft; they know a few simple moves which they use against each other from time to time. You have copied these moves and that is all you know. Anyone who knows how to study a fighter and follow their patterns could beat you easily."

Helena's nostrils were flaring and her chest was heaving up and down as she breathed with the most intense anger. Her father was calling her weak and a loser. She couldn't stand for that. "Do you think you could beat me?" she asked him.

"In a fight, yes," he answered her with confidence.

"How," she positively screamed back at him. "You have no powers, you're a puny human."

Her father was emotionless as he stared at her. It was hard to tell his feelings, but she had learned how to do it by watching his jaw. It stood unmoved at the moment, stoic as ever.

"You're right that I'm a puny human compared to you. But I'm a puny human who can read your moves and who knows how to use your own power against you."

"You lie, old man," she snarled at him. She began to turn to walk away, but he wouldn't let her go so easily.

"If you think I'm lying, attack me and prove it," he told her.

Helena was going to continue walking, but she couldn't let her father off like that. There was a stubbornness inside her that made her want to prove him wrong. She thought for a second about what to do, glanced over at him, and decided she should just run and punch him. She was too fast for him, and she knew it. He was so weak he would go down with one punch.

She charged at him with her fist pulled back, ready to strike the moment she was close enough. To her surprise he easily sidestepped her, grabbed a hold of her and pushed her forward and into the ground.

"You telegraphed your move when you were ten feet away from me," he yelled at her. "I easily used your momentum against you there. Think of ways I could keep from doing that," he instructed her.

She didn't want to listen to him on anything. She decided to try a different tactic and launched herself at him, trying to kick him in the chest and knock him down. He moved out of her way, but was able to grab her in mid-air and throw her towards a tree outside the ring. She hit it so hard the trunk split in two."

"You could have hurt me," she yelled at him when she jumped up and stood.

"I'm just a puny human. How could I hurt you?"

The words he said infuriated her even more, which she wouldn't have thought possible just a moment earlier. She was determined to get the better of him. She attacked him again and again. Each time she did her father was able to avoid her moves and find a way to counteract her attack and throw her to the ground. After several attacks her armor was covered with dirt, while his costume stood untouched as she had yet to lay a hand on him.

After several failed attempts she finally started thinking like her father. She thought about how he was throwing her around and realized she might be able to attack him while he was doing so.

She charged at him much the same way she did in her first attempt to hit him. As before he used her momentum against her and grabbed her and began to throw her away from him. This time, when he still had a hold of her, she gave him a swift kick in the ribs. She knew she connected well as she heard a loud 'crack' as she flew past him and landed on the ground.

Helena was extremely proud of herself and began to cheer when she stood. Her cheers quickly subsided when she saw her father hunched over on the ground. He was clutching his side where Helena had kicked him and was grunting in pain.

Terror started gripping Helena as she realized how badly she might have hurt her father. She walked over to him slowly, afraid of finding out the extent to which he was really hurt. His grunts of pain grew louder and louder the closer she got to him. Tears started welling up in her eyes as she grew even more afraid.

When she was standing over him she was able to hear his labored breathing. "Dad," she muttered with a cracking voice as she kneeled down to see him even closer. She leaned over to look at his face and could see the pained expression on it. She looked at where he was holding his side and saw blood spewing up from a wound caused by a protracted rib that had broken through the skin.

"Dad, what's happening?" she asked him. She had never seen anyone wounded like that before and she had no idea what to do.

"Go. . .and get. . .your mother," he said with a large amount of effort in between his grunts of pain.

Helena started to move, but soon stopped. She was afraid to leave her Dad alone. "I don't want to leave you," she pleaded with him.

"You have. . .to go," he deplored. This time she summoned the strength she needed and took off running into the woods. Tears ran down her cheeks and her mind raced with what was happening to her father. She had images of blood gushing out of him as he stopped breathing and died.

The images she had in her mind of her father dying spurred her to run as fast as she could. Unfortunately, they also clouded her mind to the point where the familiar forest looked strange to her. She wasn't able to recognize anything and soon found herself running in circles. She tried to get her bearings, but she was constantly questioning herself and constantly changing directions when merely staying on one path would have taken her somewhere she could find help.

Helena ran around for what appeared to be an eternity until she ran right into Artemis. The force of the collision sent both of them sprawling to the ground. "Watch where you're going," Artemis yelled at the girl. As she stood up she had a look of disgust on her face. The look changed to one of sympathy when she saw the pain on the young girl's face and the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Is something wrong?" the woman asked.

"I hurt my Dad," she yelled as she finally remembered why she was running. She stood up and ran to the woman. "He needs our help. We have to go to him now," she yelled as she tugged on the woman's arm.

"Hold on," Artemis said to her. "Tell me exactly what happened." From the look on her face Helena could tell Artemis was taking her seriously, she just wanted to know a little more information.

Helena was impatient and hurried through a quick description of events. "I kicked my Dad in the chest and hurt him really bad," she said in one breath. "He's in one of the practice rings; we have to go, now."

"Okay, which ring?" Artemis asked, staying calm.

Terror came over Helena as she realized she couldn't remember where she had come from. She started looking around, trying to see if she could remember.

"I don't know," she admitted as she started crying again. "It was the one with several broken stones in the ring. And there were several large trees around the ring."

The description Helena gave did nothing to help narrow down the number of rings Batman could be at. Artemis didn't let onto that fact as she kneeled down to talk to the girl.

"I can find which ring it is," she told the crying girl as she took her head in her hands and forced the girl to look at her. "I need you to go back to the coliseum and tell your mother what you just told me. When I find your father I will fire an arrow into the air to let you know where I am."

"I don't know how to get back," Helena pleaded. Artemis turned her head in the direction she needed to go and pointed that way.

"Just head off straight that way and you'll eventually reach it," she said to the girl. Helena obediently took off running.

She flew through the brush of the forest like she had never done before. In what seemed like no time at all she came out of the forest at the end of the coliseum opposite her grandmother's viewing box. There was a fight going on at the moment, but Helena paid no attention to it. She ran down the stands and onto the arena. She heard someone yell halt, but she had no idea who did it. She ran up the other end of the stands and jumped into the Queen's box.

"Helena, tell us what you're doing," her grandmother yelled at her. She paid her no attention as she ran to her mother and put her arms around her waist as she embraced her. After everything the girl had been through she needed the comfort that came from feeling her mother's warm body against her.

Diana could feel the pain her daughter was in and started gently rubbing her head to sooth her. Helena looked up at her mother as she told her what happened. "I hurt Dad, badly," she said through a cracking voice. "Artemis is trying to find him. I kicked him in the chest hard and now I think he's dying."

If Diana had been alarmed by what Helena said, she didn't let it show on her face. "Did Artemis tell you anything about how we are to locate her?" she asked as she wiped tears off her daughter's face.

"She-she said she would fire an arrow into the air when she found Dad," Helena replied. Now that she was with her mother, she was starting to feel that everything was going to be okay.

"It's over there, look," one of the Amazon's standing outside the box said as she pointed to a spot in the air. Diana, Helena, and Hippolyta all looked at the woman.

"It's in the direction of the Northwest practice ring," the woman added.

It finally dawned on Helena that's where she had been with her father. "That's where we were," she yelled at her mother as she jumped up and down. "We have to get there now."

"Okay," was all her mother said. She picked the kid up like the girl was still a toddler. Helena instinctively wrapped her legs and arms around her mother. "Hold on," her mother said as she flew out of the box, carrying Helena.

They were at the ring within a matter of seconds. Helena could feel a change come over her mother when they landed and she saw what condition her father was in. Helena let go of her mother and ran over to her father just as he started coughing up blood.

"Everything's going to be okay," she told her father as she kneeled down next to him. "I brought Mom like you asked."

Helena barely noticed her mother was standing over them. She heard her mother's voice as she spoke into her League comlink. "This is Wonder Woman. Lock onto my position and get a medical team ready. I have three to beam up."

The practice ring disappeared around Helena and she found herself in the Watchtower control room along with her mother and father. She looked around and saw Watchtower staff members in medic uniforms running towards them.

When her father was examined it was found Helena had gotten in a pretty good lick on him. When she kicked him she had completely shattered his ribcage. A good amount of the broken bones pierced his lung, causing it to collapse. The shattered rib bones also broke apart several blood vessels and caused him to bleed internally.

The doctors assured Helena they would be able to repair everything. They warned her the surgery would take a long time, though. Her mother suggested she get some sleep during the surgery, but Helena protested she wanted to stay awake until she knew her father was okay. There was no way she would have been able to fall asleep without knowing if he was okay or not.

Diana and Helena waited patiently in one of the recovery rooms until Bruce was wheeled in on his bed. He was still asleep from the anesthesia, but Helena was relieved to see the surgery was over and he was going to be okay. She then curled up on the sofa in the room, and using his cape as a blanket fell asleep.

When Helena woke up, she could hear her father and mother talking to each other. She was too groggy to make out what they were saying, but she didn't care what they were talking about. All she cared about was the fact that her father was safe.

She threw cape off of her, ran to her father's bed, pushed her mother aside, and threw herself over her father's body. She laid her head on his chest as she cried and apologized for what she did.

"I'm so sorry Dad. Please forgive me. I never meant to hurt you."

Her father started rubbing her back with the arm on his uninjured side. "I shouldn't have made you fight me like that," he replied. "I'm the adult and I should have known better."

She rested her chin on his chest as she looked at him. There was genuine sympathy on his face, the first she could ever remember seeing. She instantly started feeling better and wiped away the last few tears that remained on her face.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked.

"I'll be just fine," he said.

"Helena, some of your friends are outside, waiting for you," her mother told her as she got up off her father. "Why don't you go outside with them, I want to speak with your father alone."

Helena started to walk out, but wanted to say good-bye to her father. She ran back to the bed and put her arms around his neck. She gave him a peck on the cheek. "Get better, I love you," she told him.

"I love you too," he replied.

The second Helena walked out the door she was embraced by Maril. "I'm so sorry about what happened," Maril said to her friend. "Is your father okay?" Maril tried to look past Wonder Woman and see into the room while she was still hugging Helena.

"He's going to be fine," Diana told her. "Was your father concerned about him?"

"A bit," she admitted as she let go of Helena. "He was pretty sure the old curmudgeon would pull through it and be as charming as ever." She smiled as she said the last bit and everyone got the joke.

With Maril no longer in her way, Helena was able to see Rex and his mother standing off to the side. "Shayera," her mother said. "Why don't you take the kids to the cafeteria. Helena hasn't eaten anything in a long time."

Rex's mother led the kids away down the hall. Helena looked back to see her mother watching her leave. Just before she was out of eyesight, Helena saw her mother walk back in the room and close the door behind her.

Helena got a tray full of food from the cafeteria. She ate little of it though as she suddenly lost her appetite when she sat down. While she had initially been relieved to see her father okay, she started fearing for him as she thought about him going back out to fight crime.

Helena had never understood before just how vulnerable her father was. She marveled at the fact he had made it to this point in his life. She wondered how much longer he would last until somebody got the better of him.

Rex's mother tried to get her to talk, but Helena said little whenever she was asked a question. Pretty soon, Maril was dominating the conversation with stories about what happened to her the last time she had visited Tamaran. Helena didn't listen much, as she mostly played with the food on her tray. Maril didn't seem to notice as she was giving all her attention to Rex, who was listening very intently to all of her stories.

Helena's mother made it to the cafeteria just as everyone else was finishing up with their food. "Do you guys mind if I speak to my daughter alone?" she asked them.

"I'm sure the three of us can find something worthwhile to do," Rex's mother said as she got up and motioned for Maril and Rex to do the same.

"So long Helena," Rex said as he got up.

Maril got up and gave Helena a hug. "Call me if you need to talk," she told her friend before she grabbed her tray and walked away.

Helena continued moving the food around on her tray as her mother sat next to her. Diana reached over and tried to push back some of the stray hairs that were hiding her daughter's face from her. She watched as Helena continued pushing food around her tray.

"That food is not going to just jump into your mouth, Helena," Diana said, re-telling an old joke from the girl's early childhood. Diana was amazed to see her daughter smile and snicker a little over the joke.

"Are you actually laughing?" Diana asked as she leaned over to see her daughter's face. "You always used to get mad at me for telling that same joke over and over whenever you wouldn't eat."

"I'm laughing over the fact you still think its funny," Helena replied, still looking down at her food. The sadness returned to her face as Diana continued watching her.

"You can't hold yourself responsible for what happened," she tried to tell her daughter. "You didn't know you could hurt your father like that. He was acting like a fool and he never should have made you attack him like that."

Helena thought about how vulnerable her father was. She broke down completely and started sobbing. Instinctively, she threw her arms around her mother and sobbed into her bare shoulder. Her mother wrapped her arms around her and did her best to try and soothe her daughter.

"It's okay," she told Helena. "I know you're scared about him."

Helena pulled back so she could look at her mother as she talked. "Don't let him go back out there," she pleaded with her mother. "Don't let Dad go back out, he'll get killed," she said through sobs.

Her mother had a look of sorrow on her face, but also a look of determination.

"I can't make your father give up his life as a superhero," she tried to explain.

"I can't do it," she tried to tell her mother. "I can't spend all my time worrying about what's going to happen to him."

"I know that," her mother said with a reassuring tone. "Your father knows that to, it's why he wants you to live with him."

Helena was taken aback by what her mother said and stopped crying. "Why does he think I need to live with him?"

"He thinks you will be more comfortable if you're around to see him every day. Also, he thinks you need to learn to fight correctly and control your powers. As with most things, he thinks he is the only person qualified enough to perform that task. On this occasion, I actually agree with him."

Helena was dumbfounded by what her mother said. She started wondering why her mother wouldn't want her around Themyscira or the Watchtower with her. Her mother didn't notice her discomfort as she just kept on talking.

"You need to learn to use your powers correctly and your father is the best person to teach you that. If you live with him, you will see he manages to survive because he has trained himself to be the best ever. You'll also see how intelligent he is and how great he is at making a plan and always thinking ahead. We think it will provide a lot of comfort for you if you are able to observe how your father works as a superhero despite not having superpowers."

Helena was listening and taking in everything her mother said. While part of her brain was listening to her mother the other part was wondering what life with her father would be like and why her mother would want to send her away. She was beginning to feel uneasy about what her parents had planned for her. She looked at her food as she mother continued talking.

Diana sensed the uneasiness in her daughter and began stroking her hair to try and soothe her. Helena remained unmoved and continued staring at the table. Diana continued telling her why she should go and live with her father.

"I know it must be overwhelming thinking about living with him permanently. You won't have much time to spend on Themyscira or the Watchtower. I know it might be hard for you to understand, but you need to live with your father and spend time in the real world. It was enormously hard for me when I left Themyscira permanently and had to live there. I didn't understand people at all. I don't want you to go through the hardships I did."

What her mother said to Helena made sense to her. It still sounded scary, though. She tried to focus on the time she would get to spend with her father. She tried to focus on how she would be able to see him come home safely every night. She thought about Maril, and how her father called her every night when he made it back.

"Are you okay with this?" her mother asked.

Helena wasn't sure if her parents were going to give her a choice in the matter or not. She didn't want to tell her father she didn't want to live with him, especially if her mother didn't appear to want her any more.

The thought that her mother didn't want her around anymore continued to bother her. She wondered if it had something to do with what she did to her father. Helena was afraid to ask her mother about it, but knew she had to do it.

"Mom, can ask I you something?" she said sheepishly.

"Of course, dear," Diana replied as she stopped stroking Helena's hair and rested her head on top of her hand.

Helena couldn't look at her mother as she asked her question. "Mom, do you want me to live with Dad because you don't want me around anymore?"

"Oh dear, of course not," her mother answered as she wrapped both her arms around her daughter and pulled her close. Helena could hear the pain and sorrow in her mother's voice.

Diana pulled Helena's head close to her chest and rested her head on her daughter's. "I don't know how you could ever think that. I love you more than anything." She kissed the top of Helena's head as if to prove her point.

"It's going to be hard for me to not see you every day, but living with your father is what is best for you right now." Diana rubbed her daughter's back. She stopped talking as she thought about something.

Diana broke the hug as she wanted to look her daughter in the face as she spoke to her. "I didn't want to tell you this because I didn't want to burden you with too much," she began. Diana gently pushed back the hair covering Helena's face and wiped away a few tears that had fallen on the girl's cheek.

"I think you should go and live with your father because your father needs you," she continued. "He wants to give you on the job training. He wants to make you his new Robin and take you out on patrol with him. I know this might sound scary to you, but you are strong Helena. You have powers and abilities your father could only dream of having. You can watch out for him. You can keep him safe."

Helena almost started hyperventilating over what her mother said to her. She couldn't believe her mother expected her to take care of her father. It just didn't seem right. She was going to have to tell her mother she couldn't do it. She was going to have to let her mother down.

"I can't do it," Helena said as she tried to hold back tears. "I can't be responsible for my own father like that."

The girl was glad there was no look of disappointment on her face. Instead, her mother had one of the most sympathetic, understanding, and caring looks she had ever seen out of her. When she spoke, her tone of voice echoed the look on her face.

"I know it's a lot to ask out of you," she began. "You are so young, after all. Still, I have faith in you, dear. You have the power, the intelligence, and the heart to be a great superhero. You can be a worthy sidekick for your father. The one thing you need to learn above everything else in order to become a great hero, is to learn to handle the responsibility you have to protect people. Watching out for your father is the best way to learn to handle that responsibility."

Her mother's words convinced Helena to go and live with her father. She assimilated into Man's world, as her Amazon aunts called it. She took up the mantle of Robin, and protected Gotham at her father's side. When she started, she was almost overwhelmed thinking about having to protect her father. She soon learned why her father was held in such high esteem among the league. He was cunning and strong in ways she had never known. He had taught her things no one else could have ever taught her. There years together had been harrowing, but she would not have traded them for anything.

Clark Kent walked along one of the many flat, dirt roads of Smallville. He was on his way out to the cemetery. He could have easily run there in a second, but he wanted to walk at a normal pace so he could think on his way. Growing up, Clark always knew he would outlive his friends and family. His father's death had been especially hard as he had come to be one of the few constants Clark managed to have in his life..

Clark reached the cemetery and walked through the gate. Several generations of the Kent family were buried here and he walked back to the large swath of land that served as their burial plots. He walked back to their corner and looked over the tombstones for his mother, father, and sister. He had planned on saying something to his father, but now that he was here he didn't feel like talking. He simply thought about everything his father had done for him in his life. That was enough for paying his respects.

Before he left, Clark spent a long time in front of the grave of Lana, his first wife. They had been high school sweethearts and she was one of the first people he revealed his secret to. They had married shortly before he started working for the Daily Planet and shortly before he became Superman. Their marriage was short as she was killed by some mobsters in revenge for a story he had written. The solving of her murder was the first time he had worked with Batman, and it began the friendship and partnership between the two.

As he stood in front of her tombstone he thought about how much different his life would be if she had lived. He never would have married Lois, and while he felt bad doubting Lana's love he wondered if she would have been able to stand by him through everything like Lois did. As he thought of Lois he realized it was getting dark and he needed to get back to the house to have dinner with his wife. This time he ran, and made it there in a second.

Lois had a romantic dinner prepared for them as it was one of the first quiet nights alone they had in some time. After dinner they headed up to their bedroom. Clark took Lois's clothes off her and then took off his own.

They started making love, and as they did so Clark started losing sense of his surroundings. For reasons he didn't understand, he found himself back on Apokolips. He was with Lashina, who had been his lover during the time he had been brainwashed. He kept finding himself moving back and forth between Apokolips and Smallville.

When Lois and Clark were finished, he ran to the restroom and splashed some water on his face. He looked at himself in the mirror, wondering why he was having all these flashbacks to his time as Darkseid's pawn.


	8. Chapter 8: First Knight

**Chapter 8**

Helena kept her body flat against the subway tunnel. Trains were rushing by every few minutes and it was becoming quite annoying. Helena was sticking a sonar device against the wall every few feet and trying to pick up the sound of voices or the images of some bodies. So far she was getting nothing.

"I'm really getting far away from the bar," she said to her father through the communicator. Helena had tried to listen through the wall of the underground office to the meeting she thought was taking place inside. She heard nothing, and her father surmised they had actually moved the meeting to some spot in the secret tunnels. She was now working to try and find that spot.

"These tunnels could go on forever," her father said to her. "It would make sense they would try to be as far away from the bar as possible. You need to keep searching."

Helena thought it was easy for her father to be saying that from the safety and comfort of the Batcave. Another train went by and she hugged the wall. When it was gone she moved the device down another ten feet. This time, she was able to hear some distinct voices being picked up by the thing. She got excited and told her father she had something. She moved down another ten feet and put the device against the wall again. She looked at the computer monitor on her gauntlet and read the output it gave of a room full of gang members. She took note of everyone's position in the room and hoped they wouldn't move around too much in the next minute.

"I found them," she said to her father. She took out her crossbow and backed away from the wall.

"You're going to have to find a way in there," he replied to her. "I can talk you through this."

Her father started telling her a bunch of things, but she wasn't listening to him. "Dad, you have to remember I'm not like you."

That stopped him from talking. Helena thought of a flash arrow and one magically appeared in her crossbow. She pressed a button on her mask and shades dropped over her eyes. She knew they would protect her vision from the flash burst.

"You're going through the wall, aren't you?" her father asked.

"Of course," she replied. She ran towards the wall at full speed and broke through to the other side. She immediately fired her arrow and the space in front of her was filled by a bright flash. She rushed towards the gathering and started everyone out.

When she burst through the wall she had noticed a blue haired man at the center of the group. She had guessed he was the big guy they were looking for. Unlike everyone else he was unfazed by the flash of light. He took off running immediately further up the tunnel. When Helena had subdued all the others present, she ran after him.

Helena switched her mask to infared as she followed the man through the pitch black tunnels. She followed the footsteps of the man who had run away. There was a long stretch of tunnel before it turned. Helena figured the man would be trying to flee at full speed. When the tunnel reached a turn she took it at full speed. She didn't expect the man to be waiting for her and he was able to get a solid hit in when she turned the corner and came upon him.

She slammed hard into the wall, disintegrating it. She was shocked by the force of the blow and knew she wasn't dealing with a normal human. She had no time to be fearful of whom she was facing. Instead, she tried to run through who might have that kind of strength and what that might tell her about his weaknesses.

"What happened?" her father yelled at her.

"I don't have time to talk, Dad," she said as she got up and charged at the man. She started fighting him and he held up well. The man fought with a certain desperation that indicated he was extremely scared of being caught.

Helena kicked him and the man was able to grab her leg and toss her against the wall again. Helena cursed herself over the dumb move she made. She was afraid the man would try to run again, but he stayed as he seemed determined to make sure Helena would not be able to follow him if he ran.

"I didn't think there were superheroes like you in this city," he said in a gravelly voice.

Helena guessed he wasn't expecting there to be someone with super powers here. "I'm glad I can surprise you," she said as she got up and charged back at him.

She thought back to everything her father taught her about fighting someone: reading their moves and finding the patterns, then using their own moves against them. She did just that and in short order was able to get him pinned on the ground.

The man fought and squirmed to get free, but she held firm. "I won't let you send me back," he yelled. "I won't go back to that hell."

Given his super powers, Helena guessed he wasn't talking about jail. Given his strength, she guessed he might be from Apokolips. "You're not going to be sent back any place where you might have to fear for your life," she tried to reassure him.

He didn't appear to hear her as he worked to free his right hand. He got if free for a second before she grabbed it again. In the moment he had it free he activated something that caused a red light in his body to start blinking. Helena recognized immediately what it was and jumped back before the man blew. The force of the explosion lifted her up in the air and caused her to fly back a good distance.

"Helena," her father yelled at her.

"I'm alive," she answered. "The guy had a bomb implanted in his body."

"I've seen that before," he answered.

"He was afraid of being sent back to wherever he came from. I would love to know what could have had him so scared."

The prince floated above the ground in the direction of the mountains. He moved slow as he wanted to scan the ground below him. He didn't know exactly what he was looking for, but he knew there had to be something that would look out of place.

His mother floated up next to him on her hovering circle. "What are you doing my son?" she asked him.

"That slave that ran away was running to something, I want to know what it is," he replied. He continued looking over everything with his x-ray vision. He spotted a cave in the distance that looked like it contained some things. He flew over to it with his mother following him.

He walked into the cave and inspected everything. He found a Mother Box and picked it up. "This is what he was trying to get to," he told his mother when she reached the cave and stepped inside.

"This place is just full of stuff," she said as she looked around. "I wonder why. . ."

Lashina fell silent as something caught her eye; she bent down and picked up a string that had three electronic beads attached to it. She held it up so she could inspect it.

"What is that, Mom? Do you recognize it?"

"Yes Lash-El, it's Brainiac. This might be just what we need to take over and rule Apokolips."

_One Month Later_

Shayera walked slowly to the Watchtower control room. She looked down at her feet as she shuffled along. When she got the news she had a message from Thanagar, but not from Rex, her heart sunk and she started feeling sick. She knew the only reason for a message like that would be if something had happened to Rex.

As she walked along she thought about the connection she had always felt with her son. Thanagarian society was atheistic in nature. Included with that was a disbelief of psychic powers and connections. Shayera's disbelief in the latter had softened with the birth of her son. She had always felt a mental connection with him. She always instinctively knew what he was feeling. There were times she swore she could even sense when he was in trouble.

She couldn't feel anything now. It made her worry, but she tried to tell herself it was good news she couldn't feel him in pain or distress. The thought occurred to her he could be dead, but she believed she would know if that happened.

The doors opened for her as she entered the control room. She looked up and could see a Thanagarian elder on the communicator viewscreen. Her mind started racing with what he might want.

She continued walking slowly to the viewscreen. She looked around at everyone else in the control room; they were all going about their business and not paying any attention to her or the Thanagarian on the viewscreen. When she was the proper distance from the screen she stopped and waited to be addressed by the Elder on the other side.

"Lt. Hol," the elder began. Shayera found it strange the elder used her military rank to refer to her. "It is my duty to deliver some very unfortunate news to you," he said in a very dry voice. Shayera's legs almost gave out when she heard what he had to say. She pulled herself together as she knew she needed to hear all the details. "Upon the arrival of your son to Thanagar, the Gordanians decided to give the people your son's scalp as payment for your sins. You should know there were several Thanagarians, including your parents. . ."

Shayera didn't want to hear anymore and started punching the viewscreen with all her might in anger and anguish. Her cries and screams drowned out the last few words of the Elder that made it through before Shayera destroyed the speakers. When the communicator was demolished to a heap of junk she completely broke down. She curled up in the fetal position on the floor and wrapped her wings around her to form a cocoon and hide from everyone else. Her cries and wails filled the control room as everyone came running to comfort her.

Helena rode her bike at almost 100 mph through the woods that led to the Batcave. She was on patrol when her father ordered her back. She could tell by the tone of his voice something was wrong. She wondered what she had done.

She rode through the holographic rock face and slowed down as she made her way through the tunnel. When she reached the cave she cut the engine and let the bike fall to the ground next to the Batmobile. She ran up to the computer area where her father was sitting.

"What do you want?" she asked him. He stayed in his seat with his back to her. She could see his hands were clasped in front of his chest, and he was resting his chin on them. She knew this pose meant he was in deep thought. She decided not to say any more until he was ready to talk to her.

"I have some horrible news," he said in a heavy voice. "I received the news just a little while ago. Shayera got a message from Thanagar. It said Rex had been executed for her crimes. I'm sorry this happened to your friend."

Helena was shocked by the news; she had trouble believing it could be true. "How do they know he's really dead? They could just-"

"They killed him by Thanagarian crucifixion; an ancient and gruesome way of execution where the wings are ripped right from the body. Death occurs after they have bled out. The Gordanians are sending her his wings as proof of death. They won't give her the body."

Helena stood emotionless. She thought little of herself and the loss of a close friend of hers. All she could think about was Maril and how inconsolable she must be over losing the love of her life. She ran through all the conversations the two of them had over the past month about her engagement and upcoming wedding. She couldn't get out of her head the image of Maril's joyous face as she discussed the kind of life she was going to have with Rex. Helena couldn't even imagine how devastated her best friend must be.

"Have you talked to Dick?" she asked him.

"He was the one who told me the news," he began. "He said the minute he told her she flew away. He has no idea where she is and he wanted you to-"

Helena didn't wait around to hear what her father had to say. She took off and ran to the Batwing. She knew exactly where Maril would go to hide, be alone, and think about Rex. It was someplace Helena and Maril had spent a lot of time with him, but a place no one else knew held any value. She climbed up to the Batwing, entered the cockpit, started the engine, and flew out of the cave and towards Metropolis.

Rex opened his eyes and looked around what he believed had to be heaven. He was confused as the place he was in was damp and dark. He also thought in heaven he would feel no pain, but his back was still killing him where his wings had been pulled off. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought he was still alive.

"You look like you're coming to," he heard an old and husky voice say.

Rex tried to look around to see who was talking, but he felt too weak to move much. He heard the footsteps of the man walking around and he saw the man's feet in front of his face. The man leaned down and he looked up into the face of an old Thanagarian that looked familiar to him.

"Am I dead?" Rex asked, thinking the man could give him some confirmation.

"No, they threw you in here to bleed out, but I heated up some rocks and cauterized the wounds. It was a rough process, but it saved your life. You should remember that when you see how ghastly the wounds are."

Rex blinked a couple times. He wasn't sure whether or not he should actually thank the man for saving his life given the condition he was in right now.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"This cave is kind of the body dump for the prison camp. I was the first one thrown in here over two decades ago and left to starve to death. What the Gordanians didn't realize when they threw me in here is that this cave is the home of more than enough rodents and bats to eat."

Rex thought about the timeline. The man had likely been in here since Thanagar fell, back when his mother betrayed them. He wondered how the man had survived down here all this time.

"Do they know you're still here?" Rex asked the man.

"Not at all."

"They don't know about you despite all the bodies they throw in here?"

"They never come in here for long or go very far. They just drop the body and leave. I normally stay hidden in the back."

"Am I the first live one they've dropped?"

"No, normally I let them die. There isn't enough wildlife down here to feed me and someone else for too long."

"Why did you save me then?"

"I heard them talking about who you were when they brought you in here. I felt I owed it to your mother to save your life."

When the man mentioned he knew his mother he instantly remembered how he knew the man. He recognized him from old news footage of the Thanagarian invasion of Earth."

"Hro Talek?" he asked.

"You know me, I'm surprised," he replied with a smile.

"I'm sure my mother would appreciate what you've done for me, but how are the two of us going to survive here?"

"When I first came here I discovered a small opening to the surface. I've worked all these years to whittle a large enough opening that I could fit through. It is still too small for me with my wings. You, on the other hand, are now missing your wings. You should be able to squeeze through it once you are healthy enough to climb up there.

Helena set the Batwing down on the hill overlooking the Metrotower. It was nighttime in Metropolis, but the city was lit up like a birthday cake. The Metrotower facing her was a different story. It had been deserted by the Justice League several years ago.

The Metrotower had once been just as hustling and bustling as the satellite Watchtower. A lot of superheroes wanted to be in Metropolis, they wanted to be close to Superman. As Superman's status lessened and the new and larger moon Watchtower opened, many superheroes chose to exclusively operate out of the moon tower and ignored Metropolis. It soon became pointless to keep the tower operative.

Back when the Metrotower was still active, it served as another home for many of the children: Helena, Rex, and Maril often spent time in the Metrotower while their parents were busy with League duties. They often came up to the hill to get away from all the prying eyes of the adult superheroes. They would climb the tree, look out at the city or stars, and talk and dream about what they would do when they grew up.

Helena jumped out of the Batwing cockpit and started walking slowly towards the lone tree on the hill. She thought back to the time she spent with Maril and Rex up here. She thought about how much she often felt like a third wheel on the trips. From early on it was obvious Rex and Maril had a special connection. A connection that would lead them to one day marry.

Helena was just a few feet from the tree when she saw Maril sitting on one of the branches. She stopped, suddenly feeling like she should not bother Maril if the girl wanted to be left alone.

"You can come up here, Helena," Maril said in a somber voice. Helena took note of the fact that Maril spoke clearly without her voice cracking. There was sadness in her voice, but no hint she was in the middle of sobbing.

In a flash Helena jumped up through the branches and stood on a branch adjacent to the one where Maril was sitting. She looked out at the city too, but glanced at Maril to see what her facial expression was. Helena saw no tears glistening in the moonlight off her skin, like she expected. There was also no sign of sadness on her face. There was just the sign of stoic determination. Helena smiled a bit, she was proud of the way her friend was handling the situation.

"Hasn't changed much; the view, I mean," Helena said to Maril.

"I was thinking the same thing," Maril replied. "It hasn't changed, but we have."

Helena smiled over what Maril said. She remembered back to how when the three of them used to come up here, they could all sit on a branch together and it would barely lean. Now, the branch Maril was sitting on was straining under her weight.

"We're older and bigger, that's for sure," Helena said to Maril. "But in who we are, I don't think we're any different."

"Why do you say that?" Maril asked her. Her voice was soft, in a stark change from earlier. It appeared her emotions were starting to get to her after all.

"Do you remember what we used to talk about when we came up here?" she asked Maril. She continued without waiting for an answer. "We used to talk about the great things we were going to do: fighting for justice, winning battles, saving people's lives. Mostly, we vowed to do whatever was right. You and I have taken up our mantles and done that, and we both know Rex was going to do the sa. . ."

Helena found herself overcome with emotion in an instant. She let out a couple sobs as tears welled up in her eyes and slowly rolled between her cheeks and mask. She suddenly couldn't stop thinking about Rex and all the things he was never going to be able to do.

She felt a pair of hands on her mask, and then felt it being pulled off. She stopped crying long enough for the tears to clear out of her eyes so she could see. With the metal Amazonian gauntlets on she was unable to simply wipe the tears out of her eyes. When she was finally able to see she saw Maril checking out her mask. She was floating in the air.

"I never got a good look at this before. Your parents really made something special for you." She looked back up at Helena and noticed the tears in her eyes. She reached up and wiped them away with her thumb, taking one eye at a time.

"I can't believe I'm falling apart like this. I came here to comfort you. I'm the one who should be strong and emotionless. It's in my genes to be emotionless."

Maril smiled. There was still no hint of tears in her eyes. "I've been crying long enough. I'm done for the moment. I'm concentrating on other things right now."

Helena looked down at her mask. Maril was holding it with her right hand. Helena looked over at her left hand. She had her engagement ring on; she never wore it with her superhero costume. She was fiddling around with it with her thumb, moving it back and forth.

"What are you concentrating on now?" Helena asked her friend.

Maril tried to look through the tree and up at the stars. She couldn't see very clearly. "Can you follow me up to the top?" she asked Helena.

"Sure," she replied. Maril handed Helena her mask and flew up over the tree branches. Helena hung the mask on a branch and jumped up through the branches. She paused briefly on the broken top of the tree trunk, thinking about how it had been split open after being struck by lightning several years ago. After the brief pause, she climbed up to where Maril was floating and stopped, looking at the night sky with her.

"You know where Tamaran and Thanagar are, don't you?" Maril asked her.

"Of course," Helena answered. "You and Rex pointed them out to me almost every single night."

Helena scanned the sky and found the faint star out by itself that represented Tamaran. She looked over a little to the cluster of stars that represented the empires of Thanagar and Gordania, although now it was really all Gordanian territory.

"Do you remember the distance between Tamaran and the Thanagarian territories?" Maril asked.

"Yes, eight light years," Helena answered. "Of course, with hyperspace travel the distance is practically negligible."

"There's always been animosity between the Thanagarians and Tammaraneans," Maril pointed out. Helena knew the recent history well, despite being a planet of proud and powerful warriors, they stayed out of the war against the Gordanians, no matter how much the Thanagarians pleaded with them for help.

"It was my mother's diplomacy that helped open up Thanagar for visitors again. She has always done what she could to fight for Thanagarian freedom without making an enemy of the Gordanians. I keep thinking she should take a new course. I want her to take our army and attack the Gordanians and Thanagarians. I want them all to pay for what they did to Rex."

Helena was astonished by the vengeance Maril was feeling. Especially the way she was focusing on retributive justice. Her father had told her much about his internal cries for justice after his parents died and how he channeled that into a desire to seek justice for everyone, not just revenge against the killer of his parents. Helena knew her father passed this ideal on to Dick, and he passed it on to Maril. Helena was saddened her friend was appearing to go against everything she had been taught.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked Maril, unsure if she wanted her to answer.

"No, I don't," Maril answered. Helena immediately sighed with relief. "I like to believe it would accomplish something, but there is nothing which could bring Rex back, thus there is nothing to do."

There was silence between them for several moments as Helena didn't know what to say. Maril ended up breaking it. "We won't even be able to give Rex a proper burial," she said softly. "They aren't going to give us his body."

"That's what my father told me," Helena said.

"I need to see his body," Maril admitted. "I need to see it for closure." Maril looked at Helena. From the look on her face Helena could tell Maril had something difficult to say. "You're probably going to chastise me for saying this," she began in sheepish whisper. "I don't think he's actually dead," she added as she looked over at her friend with her head tilted.

"I would never chastise you for holding onto hope like that, Maril," Helena said. "I don't take after my father in all areas," she added with a smile.

Maril smiled back. Helena could see the smile was a bit forced. Despite her earlier appearance of strength, a look of sadness and despair was starting to creep back on to her face.

"It's not blind hope," she said as she looked back up at the stars. "I don't feel like he's dead. I think if he was really dead, I would be able to feel his spirit. I believe he would be able to talk to me from the grave. This might sound crazy to you. . ."

"I'm the last person to believe the dead don't live on somewhere or somehow," Helena said without waiting for Maril to finish her thought. "My mother has been to the underworld, after all."

Maril stopped looking at the stars and started looking down at the ground below. "I feel like I need someone to tell me it's crazy," she said. "I can't spend the rest of my life believing he's not dead. I'm going to need a lot of help convincing myself he is truly dead and is not coming back."

The two girls were interrupted by the sound of a Javelin spacecraft landing nearby. "Connor?" Maril asked.

"I called him on my way here, I thought you could use a couple more friends to talk to," Helena answered.

Maril seemed displeased by the additional company. "I think I would like to be alone right now," she said as she flew straight up in the sky. Helena would have told Connor to go away, but Maril took off before Helena could say anything to her. She jumped down to the ground to greet her boyfriend.

"I guess I scared her off," Connor said as he walked up to Helena.

Helena was going to tell him all about the conversation she had with Maril, but as she thought about it she couldn't speak. With Maril gone she was breaking down. She ran to Connor and threw her arms around him as she broke down crying.

Helena started thinking about what the loss of Rex meant to her. Before she went to live with her father she spent almost all her time on either the Watchtower or the Metrotower. Rex was the only other kid who lived in those two places as much as she did. He was her oldest friend and she was going to miss him greatly.

As she continued crying into Connor's shoulder she became thankful that Maril and Rex were at least able to get engaged before he died. She thought about her and Connor, and the possibility something might happen to one of them.

"Marry me," she said into Connor's shoulder.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Marry me," she said as she stood back and looked him in the eye to see what his reaction would be. "I don't want to take the chance one of us will die before we have a chance to get married."

"You just ruined everything," he said. While his words were harsh the tone of voice he said it in was playful.

Helena sat patiently next to Connor as he flew the Javelin ship through the air. He was supposed to be taking her to some island in the middle of the ocean. It was supposed to be a surprise he was going to reveal when he proposed to her. For the moment, Helena wasn't saddened by the death of her friend. She was feeling joy over the fact Connor had been making plans to propose.

The sun rose on the horizon as they flew east. An island appeared below them, Helena was surprised how it was all alone out in the middle of the ocean. Connor brought them closer and Helena could see the landscape of the island. It was a mix of tropical and temperate forest that reminded her of Themyscira.

Connor brought the jet down gently and immediately stood up and offered his hand to Helena. "May I escort you outside, my lady," he said.

"Yes, you may," she said as she took his hand. He led her out and gave her a moment to look around the beach they were on.

"This place is beautiful," Helena exclaimed. "How did you find this?"

"I didn't, your father did. He bought it years ago as a place he could live with you and your mother. He knew his marriage to your mother was strained by the fact that they had to keep it a secret, or else people might ask too many questions of how Bruce Wayne came to be married to Wonder Woman. He thought this place would be isolated enough for them to spend time together."

"How do you know all this?" she asked him, stunned by what he was revealing.

"When I asked your father for your hand in marriage, his main concern was how we were going to live together. He told me about this island and told me it was ours if we wanted it, we should just consider this our engagement present. By chance it happens to be an equal distance between Gotham and Star City."

Helena was smiling slyly at Connor and he wondered what she was thinking. "What are you smiling about?" he asked her.

"You went to my father alone to ask for my hand in marriage, you're braver then I thought," she said with a smile.

"I had to change my underwear afterwards, but I didn't have the heart attack I was expecting."

Connor made Helena laugh and it sounded sweet to his ears. He heard Ted speaking to him through his communicator and telling him the ring was being beamed down. He found it in the sand and knelt down to grab.

Helena had walked over to him and he took the ring out of its box. "Will you marry me?" he asked her.

"Yes," she answered. He took her hand and removed the gauntlet, then put the ring on her finger.

"I can't believe everything you told me," Lal Talek said to Rex as she replaced the bandages on his back. "If my brother is alive and nearby, I have to go and get him out."

Lal Talek was Hro's sister. He knew she would likely be living on the family estate. It was a hundred miles from the camp he had escaped from, but in planetary terms that was not far at all. With his injuries the trek had been grueling, but now that he was safe in her house, his wounds were finally getting tended to properly.

"He told me we are not to worry about him," Rex told her. "He said rescuing him would be too dangerous. We have a bigger mission to attend to."

Rex could hear Lal sigh. "If my brother is anything like what I remember, he must have told you to raise an army and overthrow the Gordanians. That is a hopeless dream. Our goal should be to find a way back to Earth for you. I knew your mother. She is going to go crazy believing you are dead."

Rex didn't get a chance to reply as a knock came on the door. He could hear the voices of two Gordanians as they announced they needed the occupant to open the door. Lal helped Rex hide in a closet and then she answered the door. Rex was able to look out through the blinds and see everything.

When Lal opened the door the two Gordanians barged through it. "We're looking for an escapee," one of them said. "Do not get in our way."

Lal was silent as the two began moving around. They both had their guns raised and were looking at something on them. Rex figured they had scanners on their blasters that would allow them to detect his presence. When one of them pointed the scanner at the closet he was in, he could see a smile come across the face of the Gordanian. He stayed silent and slowly moved towards Rex's position. Rex guessed the man wanted the kill all for himself. Rex waited for the Gordanian to get near. When he was close enough Rex burst out the door and quickly wrestled the gun away from him. He fired it and the blast tore the Gordanians chest open.

Rex turned the gun in the direction of the other Gordanian who dropped his immediately. "Please don't shoot me," he yelled. "I'll leave and never tel anyone about this. I swear."

"Your comrades will be looking for you," Rex pointed out.

"I can hide out. I swear to you."

Rex thought about his situation, he knew he couldn't trust the man. He had always been taught never to kill, especially in cold blood. He tried to think of reasons to let the man go, but none came to mind. Rex pulled the trigger and blew the Gordanian's head off.

Lal was stolid as she watched everything. "We better get out of here before others show up," she said. "You better have a plan for us surviving."


	9. Chapter 9: Five Years Later

**Chapter 9**

_Five years later_

Helena looked up at the sky, scanning it for sorties. She didn't see anything, but from experience she knew it didn't mean there wasn't anything there.

Helena touched her communicator in her ear and spoke, "J'onn, its Helena. I'm on the ground down here and I need you to scan the sky and see if you can spot anything flying around." While the orbiting Watchtower was no more, the Justice League had several small satellites for surveillance. A few of them even carried weapons similar to the old laser on the old Watchtower.

"The satellite scanners aren't picking up anything," J'onn replied.

"Good," Helena replied. "Continue keeping watch, though. I have a feeling somebody is going to try something."

"I'll keep an eye out?" J'onn replied. "If you want, I could shoot down anything suspicious."

J'onn mentioned shooting down the helicopters in a monotone voice, but Helena knew he was really being sarcastic. "I don't think that will be necessary," Helena replied in a joking tone. "We've got other people to help take care of any trouble."

"I'll keep the guns loaded," J'onn replied. Helena thought she might have actually detected a hint of inflection in the alien's voice. "One more thing, Helena, have fun."

"Thanks," Helena said with a smile, even though he couldn't see it. "Out," she added as she turned off the comlink.

Helena looked at the sky again. This time, she wasn't searching for helicopters; she was admiring the beautiful weather Olivia and Richie had for their wedding. Flash had joked that if the weather looked bad at the beginning of the day, he would break Weather Wizard out of jail and force him to make it clear and sunny. The weather ended up being perfect on its own. If Helena knew Wally, he was most likely disappointed he wouldn't get to be the hero and save the day.

"Checking the sky for paparazzi helicopters," Helena heard Dinah Queen say behind her. She turned around to see Olivia's mother walking towards her with a box of flowers.

"I was actually admiring the weather. There isn't much use in looking for helicopters. I don't have my crossbow with me, so I couldn't exactly shoot any down."

"Don't worry, if any do show up Olivia will knock them down with her scream," Dinah pointed out.

"She almost took me out with her scream," Helena revealed. "She's so nervous about having everything be perfect."

Dinah giggled along with Helena. "If you don't mind me asking, why did she kick you out?"

"I was trying to help her with her veil, and I just couldn't get it right. She yelled at me to leave and that she would just do it herself."

"You got out at just the right time. The veil messed up her hair ever so slightly. I was trying to help her fix it, but couldn't get anything right. When the flowers came I saw my opening and told her I needed to take the bouquets to you and Maril."

Helena looked at the flowers in the box, trying to see if there was any difference between the two. As the Maid of Honor, she thought her bouquet might be a little fancier.

"They're the same," Dinah said as she picked up on what Helena was doing. Helena started taking one out, and then grabbed the other one as she realized she hadn't seen Maril for quite a while. "I don't think anyone's see Maril for a while," she told Dinah as she took both bouquets out of the box. "I'll try and find her and take her bouquet to her."

"So you're going to leave me to deal with Bridezilla," Dinah said with a smile. "I thought the Wayne's had more courage than that."

"I'll trade with you if you really want me to. I am the Maid of Honor after all."

"And I'm the mother of the bride. Olivia is my only daughter and I should be helping her get ready, no matter how much it might destroy our relationship."

"Good luck," Helena told Dinah as she walked away.

"You too," Dinah replied.

Helena tried to think where Maril might have run off to. She knew this day was going to be tough for her. She and Rex were supposed to be the first ones to get married. Instead, she was trying to get through life without him.

Helena racked her brain, trying to think where on the Queen estate Maril might have run off to. _Think, _she said to herself. _You're supposed to be a detective. You should be able to track down a young woman merely trying to hide._

As Helena thought about the best place to hide on the estate she remembered back to how they used to play around in the maze Mr. Queen had set up for his children. In the center of the maze was an ornate gazebo, where they would always sit and rest after a long day of playing. It was the only good hiding spot Helena knew about and she figured it was the only one Maril knew about as well.

Helena's bridesmaid dress was a little long and she grabbed it around her waist and held it up as she walked so it wouldn't get dirty. Olivia had actually kept things simple with the bridesmaid dresses she picked out for her and Maril. They were plain satin dresses colored metallic silver. They were long in the leg, but cut short around the bosom. Neither Helena nor Maril minded, as they were more than able to fill out the dresses.

The maze was in an out of the way corner of the Queen estate. Helena didn't come across anyone else as she walked out there. The fact she wasn't seeing anyone made her certain Maril had come this way to hide for a short moment.

When Helena reached the maze she was a bit surprised to see it was still in immaculate condition. Oliver had joked he was keeping it up for when Helena and Connor or Olivia and Richie blessed him with grandkids. She had never come out here to check if he was truthful or not, but now that she saw how beautiful everything was, she was sorry this was the first time in a long time she was getting to see it.

Helena entered the maze and immediately recognized it had not been fundamentally changed since the last time she had gone through it. Her superior memory allowed her to work her way through with only making a few wrong turns. Despite breezing through the maze she was still jealous she couldn't simply fly over it. In a short time she was at the center garden and saw Maril sitting in the gazebo.

Maril was on one of the benches, staring out and away from Helena at nothing in particular. Helena could tell from her pose the girl was feeling sad.

Helena walked over to the gazebo and slowly walked up the stairs. Her high heels made little sound as they touched the wood steps. Maril made no sign she knew Helena was there.

"I really hope you sensed me and know I'm here," Helena said as she tried to look around at Maril's face. "If your senses are that bad my father may have to kick you out of the Bat-family."

Maril turned around and looked at Helena with a strained smile on her face. When she turned around, her hand darted up to her chest and she started fiddling with the engagement ring hanging from the gold chain around her neck. It was the ring Rex had given her five years ago. When Rex died, she knew she couldn't wear the ring like a normal engagement ring, but she couldn't give it up entirely either. The ring around the necklace was a compromise she had reached.

In the five years since Rex died, she had never even contemplated dating again. Her head knew she had to move on, but her heart wouldn't' let her do so. She felt it would be a dishonor to everything Rex had meant to her.

Helena felt Maril was missing out on a lot by not even dating, but she knew she could never push her friend like that. She realized Maril would find someone special when she was ready.

As she looked at Maril she was reminded of just how beautiful the girl was. Maril's skin had a slight orange tint to it that made her look exotic. Maril was wearing her long, black hair back and it made every inch of her face visible to Helena. Even with the pained look on her face, Helena could see the beauty and elegance of her facial features.

Maril noticed Helena's glance and stopped fiddling with the ring. She looked at Helena and saw the bouquets the girl was carrying. Helena noticed her stare and handed one of them to her. As Maril grabbed it, she spotted the huge rock on Helena's finger. Helena noticed this and brought her hand next to her body to hide her engagement ring as she sat down next to the girl.

"Don't take offense to this," Helena began speaking hesitantly. "I care about you very much, and I just want to know if you're feeling okay about all this."

Maril forced a quick smile and looked down at her feet. She fiddled around with the bouquet again as she looked up at nothing in particular in the gazebo ceiling. "I'm not taking offense to what you said," she began. "The truth is I'm not completely okay with all this. I keep thinking how this was supposed to happen for me and Rex, and it never will."

"You need to stop thinking like that. There is someone else out there you can love."

"I know that's probably true, but I don't want anyone else. I had a love with Rex I don't think I will be able to replicate with another person."

Maril paused for a moment. Helena didn't jump in as she could tell Maril had more to say. "My mother has been suggesting more and more that I go to live on Tamaran. I am most likely going to be queen there one day, and I should probably get to know the planet more. I always knew I would have to leave Earth for there one day, but I always thought it would be later in life. Now, I'm feeling like I need to leave Earth so I can put Rex behind me. I'm thinking I should go there and start over. Accept my role as princess and find a good Tamaranean man to marry."

Maril looked over at Helena. Helena expected to see tears in the girl's eyes, but instead saw only resolve and strength. "It's going to be hard to leave here, though. There are so many people I'm going to miss."

"Don't worry about me," Helena said, trying to sound cheerful.

Maril glanced over again at Helena's engagement ring. She could tell Maril was thinking about something and was wondering what it might be. "Can I ask you something?" Maril finally said.

"Of course, anything," Helena replied. Helena found Maril's question strange. The two of them had always been close and Helena saw no reason why Maril would need to ask for permission to ask something, no matter how personal the question might be.

Maril glanced at Helena's engagement ring again. "I know it's been five years since you and Connor became engaged," Maril began as she looked at her feet and talked in a low voice. "The two of you are still not close to actually walking down the aisle. I just want to know. . .I just need to know that it's not because of me. I need to know that you haven't delayed your marriage because you're afraid of how I would feel."

Helena was immediately saddened by the news. Fear of Maril's feelings had nothing to do with her delay in getting married. There were a host of reasons; reasons she didn't want to get in to right now, even though Maril seemed to be exposing her feelings to Helena.

"Maril, Connor and I care about you very much. While we know our wedding will be hard on you in some ways we also know you're strong enough to put your own pain aside and be happy for us. In any discussion we had on our wedding, we never felt we had to delay because of you. The reason it's taking us so long to get married is just. . .well, commitment phobia is in my genes. I guess I should. . ."

Helena was saved from having to explain more by the sudden appearance of Connor. "There you two are," he yelled at them. "Haven't either of you ever heard of a watch. We need to be walking down the aisle in a matter of minutes."

"How did you find us?" was Helena's first reply. She was a bit startled that he seemed able to do it. Helena had to put a lot of thought into finding Maril, and while she respected her fiancé's brain, she didn't think he would have been able to figure things out better then she had.

"You're not the only detective in this couple," he said to her with a sly grin on his face. Helena and Maril both stood up. Helena noticed something in the way Connor talked, she could detect he was leaving something out. She gave him a look as she walked over to him. He knew the look; it told him she was skeptical of what he was saying.

Connor's expression immediately changed when he knew he had been figured out. "My mom saw you head this way," he admitted to his fiancé.

"I knew you it," Helena said as she playfully hit him in the stomach. Connor rubbed his stomach, feigning pain.

"We don't have any more time to waste," he said to the girls. "We should head back now. Do you mind if I lead the way?" Connor held his arm out for Helena to take. She glanced over at Maril. She thought about the conversation they had just had, and knew Maril didn't want her friend to act differently out of deference for her pain. Still, Helena didn't want to walk back hanging on the arm of her fiancé while Maril was alone.

"I can walk back myself, without any help," she said to Connor. She hoped Maril would think she was trying act independent and not trying to avoid hurting her feelings. The girl seemed in good spirits as she lifted up her dress like Helena and followed her out of the maze.

Teddy was pacing like mad when they reached him. From the look on his face, they could tell he was mad at them. He didn't say anything as he saw no need to cause a scene on his sister's wedding day.

"Nice to see you guys could make it," he said with a rather snarky tone, keeping his anger in check. He looked at Connor and Helena as he spoke. His demeanor changed when he saw Maril, though. "Are you ready," he said cheerfully as he held out his arm for her, even though she was a good distance away from him. Maril hurried over to him and took his arm. Ted looked for the bandleader and waved to him. The man signaled back and started the string quartet. They immediately started with the processional music.

Maril and Ted started walking down the aisle. Connor and Helena moved in position behind them. Helena had a hold of Connor's arm now.

"Are you thinking about walking down the aisle, but in a different context at all?" Connor asked her.

Helena didn't like being put on the spot like this. She had an idea for making him pay for bringing it up. "Yeah, I'm thinking about walking down the aisle in a wedding dress, my dad with me, giving me away. I'm also thinking about the handsome black haired man waiting for me at the altar."

The blonde-haired Connor was not amused. "Very funny," he said under his breath.

"Come on, lighten up," she said as she him gave a quick and light jab in the ribs with her elbow.

Connor noticed everyone looking at them. "We're up," he said as he started leading her down the aisle.

The two of them made their way slowly down the aisle. The seats all around them were full. Helena scanned the crowd, looking for her father. She immediately spotted him. He was sitting in the back, of course. He didn't exactly look to be enjoying himself. He wasn't much for weddings, or celebrations of any kind for that matter. Still, he was doing his best to show support for his adoptive grandson. Helena made eye contact with him and smirked. He smirked back at her.

Connor and Helena reached the makeshift altar and bowed. They then separated and took their spots. After a short while the music changed, and Olivia and her father took their spots at the other end of the aisle.

The ceremony Richie and Olivia had was beautiful. Their vows were so good even Bruce, with his cold heart, found himself getting choked up over them. When the ceremony itself was over everyone moved on to the huge blowout of a reception the Queens had set up for the couple. Bruce was seated with many of the other billionaire couples at the wedding.

When the dancing started all the couples got up to dance, leaving him alone. It was a situation which actually pleased Bruce. He started scanning the crowd and people watching.

Eventually he came across his daughter sitting at the head table and talking with Maril Grayson. He couldn't help but look at her with pride. She looked exceptionally beautiful today. He knew most of the other people at the wedding wouldn't see her as much more than the slutty heiress she played for the press. It didn't matter to him; he knew how much she was admired around the world for what she did as Wonder Huntress. He knew one day she would be far more admired then he ever was.

"Scanning for super villains?" a voice familiar to Bruce said from behind him. He turned to see his old ward and partner Dick Grayson slowly walking up to him. The younger man was finally starting to show his age with graying hair and a few wrinkles on his face. He also was beginning to put on weight, something Bruce had avoided despite being over a decade older. It showed how much Bruce still kept up with his workout regimen while Dick had lapsed.

"I'm not so paranoid to believe there is a super villain under every rock," Bruce replied.

"That's not the Bruce I once knew," Dick said as he took the seat right next to Bruce. He followed Bruce's eye line and noticed he was looking at their daughters sitting together.

"You ever wonder how they do it." Dick asked.

"How they do what?" Bruce asked.

"How they manage to have the kind of friendship the two of us were never able to manage," Dick answered.

Dick watched the two girls as they took notice of the fact their fathers were watching them. They leaned towards each other and started talking and giggling as they glanced at the two men from time to time.

"Helena's there for the people she loves," Bruce admitted. "That is one trait she gets from her mother. You would know that I have never been like that."

Bruce's admittance was something that Dick had been waiting his whole life to hear. As Bruce's adopted son and protege he never felt Bruce was there for him in ways a father and mentor should have been. Two decades ago he would have jumped with joy over Bruce admitting his failures. Now, he saw no reason to gloat. As an old man himself who had made numerous mistakes himself throughout his life, he couldn't hold it against Bruce for not being perfect.

"I don't hold anything against you anymore, Bruce," he admitted to his mentor. "Looking back now I see myself as a naive and inexperienced brat who should have been treated much more harshly then he was."

"If it makes you feel any better, I learned from my mistakes with you when it came to raising and training Helena."

"That does make me feel better," Dick said sincerely. "If I can say the mistakes you made with me helped you raise the girl who turned out to be my daughter's best friend, I'll have something to take pride in about that time in my life. Lord knows she is going to need a friend soon."

From the tone of his voice Bruce could tell Dick was not just making a figure of speech. "Why is Maril going to need a friend soon?" he asked.

Dick took a deep breath and sighed before he began to speak. "Kori is dying," he said softly. "She only has a few weeks left, and when she goes Maril will have to take over as queen of Tamaran."

Bruce was stunned by the news. This was the first time he had heard about any of this. "How long have you known."

"Kori told me immediately when she found out two months ago. We've stayed quiet because we wanted Richie and Olivia to enjoy their wedding. We've wanted Maril to have a little more time without the burden of having the weight of a nation on her shoulders. I'm starting to feel that keeping quiet was a mistake, though-"

"There is no right answer when you are facing a situation like this," Bruce told him.

Bruce's words gave Dick some comfort. He continued to watch his daughter with Helena. Helena leaned into Maril and said something that made the two of them both crack up with laughter as they glanced at their fathers.

"She's going to miss her life here, I'm sure," Bruce said. "You raised her well, though; she'll be a good queen."

"Sometimes I think she would have been better off under your tutelage. You might have done a better job toughening her up."

"Toughness is not something that can really be a taught," Bruce replied. "Events and our response to them is what make us tough. She's suffered tragedies that made her tough."

As Dick continued to watch the girls he saw Connor approach Helena and ask her something. Helena appeared apprehensive and turned to Maril. Maril motioned for her to go and Helena got up to dance with Connor.

"I hope you don't mind if I leave you," Dick said to Bruce. "I should probably go and keep my daughter from feeling alone."

Helena was paying little attention to the rest of the crowd as she finished her meal. Just when she was done Maril nudged her and leaned over to tell her something. "Look, our fathers are talking to each other."

Helena looked up and saw Dick sitting down next to her father. "Wanna make a bet on how this ends?" she asked Maril.

"I think it will end with an emotional hug and the two of them crying as they embrace for ten minutes," Maril replied sarcastically. She said everything straight but started giggling the moment she finished. Helena giggled along with her as she noticed their fathers looking over at them.

Helena and Maril both noticed their fathers returning their gaze. They quickly looked away and started talking to each other. "What do you think they're talking about?" Maril asked.

"My father is probably telling him yours how he can't stand retirement," Helena said. "Then he's adding that no one out there knows what they're doing. If he wasn't retired, he would have every super villain behind bars in a matter of seconds."

Maril tried her best to suppress her laughter over what Helena was saying to her. "My father is probably saying 'What about our daughters? They're the most powerful and well trained super heroes the world has ever seen. Do you really think you could do more then they are?"

Helena was able to keep from giggling too badly. "I guess my father would grudgingly agree with him, but he would say everything through gritted teeth." Helena did the best impression of her father's gravelly voice that she could. "You might be right," she said in the deep voice. "They are still only 5% the hero I was in my heyday."

Maril spit out a little of the drink she had in her mouth she laughed so hard over Helena's imitation of her father. She finally got herself under control and added in what her father would reply. "I bet my Dad would say we're more like 10% the heroes they were in their heyday."

"You ever wish we could go back in time and see what they were really like before we were born?" Helena asked her friend.

"Of course I would," Maril answered. "It would be nice to have personal visual confirmation they were never what they thought they were. Given the number of times I"ve had to save my father from near death, I've come to believe he wasn't quite as good as he remembers."

"I know exactly what you mean," Helena said. "Frankly, I don't know how those two ever survived without us."

The two both got a hearty laugh at the expense of their fathers. They had to stop when Connor came up to talk to Helena. "Would you like to dance?" he asked his fiancé.

Helena looked at Maril as she didn't want to leave her friend alone. Maril mouthed the word 'Go' to her and she went ahead and took Connor's hand. He led her out to the dance floor.

Helena and Connor glided along the dance floor. She enjoyed being close to him, but felt a little uneasy over the thoughts this wedding was bringing up about their engagement. Helena loved Connor, but was hesitant to make things official. There were a lot of complications with their relationship: at least that was what she always told herself. As time went by she felt more and more like her cold feet was due to the fact she just didn't love him that much instead of any external complications.

Helena saw her father alone and felt bad for him, even though she knew he was more than accustomed to being alone. "You don't mind if I cut our dance short, do you?" she asked Connor.

"Of course not," he replied. As always, he was understanding, even though he didn't know what Helena was up to.

She left him on the dance floor, trying not to think about the doubts she had about their marriage as she walked away. She thought back to when they got engaged in the wake of Rex's death. They had been set to get engaged, so it wasn't quite a situation where they got engaged merely because of the tragedy. Of course, her parents had believed the same thing when they got married in the wake of Jason Todd's death. It ended up they pushed themselves into a marriage they never should have.

Helena walked to the table her father was at and leaned against it. "Shouldn't you be dancing with your fiancé?" he asked her.

"I thought as the most beautiful girl here I should be dancing with the most handsome man here," she said to him with a smirk.

"You don't have to babysit me, I'm fine," he replied to her.

Helena practically pulled her father out of his chair. "Just let me have one dance with my father. Act like you're a normal human being who can enjoy life just a little bit."

"I guess we need some practice for when you marry Connor," he said.

Helena didn't like the needling about her yet to occur wedding, but she let it slide. She just wanted to enjoy the moment with her father.

Helena walked through the gardens of the Queen estate. She was happy to spend time with her friends, but she was anxious now to get back to Gotham and do some work. She walked to the large clearing between the Queen's gardens and the woods that bordered their property. She found Maril waiting for her as they had agreed.

Maril was walking around, apparently looking for something. "Trying to see if you can find it?" she asked her friend while laughing.

"I know it's around her somewhere," Maril exclaimed. "It's a pretty big jet, there should be some sign it's around here."

Helena's mother had lent her the invisible jet to fly back and forth to the wedding. With all the paparazzi helicopters flying around it was convenient for her to be able to fly something that was undetectable. She pulled out her controls and opened the landing door. When it slid down the opening became visible.

"I had a feeling it was there," Maril tried to claim as they boarded the plane. Helena went up to the cockpit while Maril stayed in the deck below to change into her costume. Helena lifted off and set a course for Bludhaven. As they flew away from the estate the sensors picked up a few helicopters flying around.

When Maril was in her costume she came up in the cockpit to join Helena. "It's actually kind of nice to get away from all that," she said when she came up.

Helena spoke without thinking, and would instantly regret doing so. "Thinking about Rex too much?" she asked.

The mood in the cockpit instantly changed and Helena wished she could take back what she said. "I meant that it was nice to get away from the large crowd and have some quiet. I meant that it was nice to not have to keep up the secret identity act around people. I wasn't talking about Rex at all."

"I'm sorry," Helena said. "I shouldn't believe that you're constantly thinking about Rex and forever damaged by his death. I guess I just believe that everyone is obsessed by the death of loved ones as much as my father is."

Helena was saved from having to do any more by the computer announcing they were approaching Bludhaven. Maril went below without saying anything so she could jump out when they were over the city. Helena passed directly over the city and Maril opened the door and fell to the Earth below. As Helena flew away she followed Maril's trajectory on the ship's radar. She watched as Maril fell to Bludhaven and then darted away in the direction of Metropolis.

"Maril," she said with a sigh as she realized where the girl was going.


	10. Chapter 10: The Proposal

**Chapter 10**

Shayera stood silent and motionless, staring at the ground, in the Court of Fallen Heroes in Metropolis. She lifted her head and looked around at the various memorials that had been erected for the various superheroes which had fallen in the line of duty.

The statue for Supergirl was the original memorial the court had been built to hold. It showed her as a larger than life champion. She was standing at attention with her arm outstretched, an eagle perched on it. The statue was gold in color, which made it illuminate well in the light from the eternal flame that burned at the center of the court.

Shayera looked around at the other statues: Aquaman, the first Atom, Terra, and the first Blue Beetle. Shayera looked at the ground before looking back up at the statue in front of her. The statue was of her son, dressed as Hawkman.

Before he had left on his fateful trip to Thanagar he had planned on taking up the mantle of Hawkman. Carter Hall, the original Hawkamn, had helped him make a costume and he was all set to hand over the mantle. When Rex died, the rest of the League had insisted a memorial be built for him, honoring the hero he would have been. Shayera had felt he didn't belong out here with the others; they had all died trying to save others. The other members convinced her otherwise and she relented.

Since they didn't have a body they buried his wings under the statue instead. She was glad to have it. She would talk to it from time to time and that way she could feel like she was talking to her son.

"Olivia and Richie were married today," she said to the statue. "I know you would have been happy for them, even though you wouldn't have been able to go to the wedding without giving away their identities. I have to tell you I haven't been well today. I can't stop thinking about how you and Maril were supposed to be married. We all missed out on a lot with your death."

Shayera paused to wipe a tear from her eye. She continued talking to the statue. "I really wanted to sneak over there and support Maril. I know this day must have been hard for her. She was a bridesmaid in the wedding, of course. I wanted to go and see how she looked. Dick texted me a picture of her in her dress. She looked great. She would have made a beautiful bride. . ."

Shayera stopped as she heard someone in platform boots walking up behind her. She turned to see her could-have-been daughter-in-law Maril Grayson walking up behind her.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," she said demurely. "I was going to stay back, but I wanted you to know I was here. You looked like you could use some company."

Maril looked apprehensive about talking to Shayera, but the girl didn't look overcome with sadness. The two of them had grown close ever since Rex's death. Maril had handled Rex's death better then Shayera, even though the girl had a lifelong fear of those around her dying.

"I heard you talking to him," Maril said. "I just wanted you to know I do it to."

Shayera felt better now that she had something else to think about. "It helps doesn't it?"

"It makes me feel like he's not really gone," she answered. "I know others will think it means we're not accepting his death, but-"

Maril paused for a moment and Shayera finished her sentence for her, "But accepting his death doesn't mean believing he isn't around in some capacity."

Maril smiled at her. "I didn't think you believed in the spiritual?"

"I've had a change of heart on the issue," she replied.

For a moment the two of them stood in silence admiring the memorial. "How was the wedding?" Shayera asked, breaking the silence.

"It was really nice. Why don't I tell you about it over coffee?"

"I would love that," Shayera said. "She touched the communicator in her earpiece to talk. "Two to beam up," she said.

The crowd of Thanagarians filled the square as they awaited the arrival of their hero. They covered the ground around the staircase leading to the capitol building. They would have covered the sky as well, but the authorities were keeping the skies clear for the day.

They were lining up to see the man they owed their new found freedoms to. Five years ago, Warhawk had come out of nowhere to challenge the Gordanian occupiers of Thanagar. He had built an army and won victories over them that no one could believe. The Gordanians had finally been forced to pass reforms and make Warhawk the head of a new Thanagarian government. They had not thrown off the Gordanians completely. The Thanagarians were still officially part of the Gordanian empire and had to pay taxes to them, but both sides new it was likely not too long until the Thanagarians would make an attempt to complete the break. The Gordanians still had one advantage over Thanagar; they had a large space force that was currently unopposed by the Thanagarians. They were trying to do everything they could to rectify the situation.

The already raucous crowd erupted in deafening cheers the moment they could see the transport carrying Warhawk on the horizon. The transport descended swiftly and came to a stop at the foot of the stairs. They could have landed right in front of the Capitol entrance, but Warhawk wanted to give his subjects the opportunity to see him.

The crowd became silent in anticipation as the side door flung itself open and the ramp descended. They became raucous with cheers again as Warhawk appeared and descended with his entourage. He was wearing his normal suit of armor. The armor started at his chest and from there ascended his body to cover his wings, neck, and face. He waved to the crowd.

Palace guards walked around the line of the crowd as Warhawk descended the ramp. Despite the General's popularity in gaining freedom for the Thanagarians, he still had many detractors. Many of them would have liked to see him dead. The Gordanians, of course, would have loved to see him dead.

As Warhawk walked and waved to the crowd he soaked up their adulation. Wanting to speak to them he pressed a button on his belt and the armor around his mouth and neck pulled itself back. "Thank you," he said to the crowd over and over in response to their cheers to him.

A fight started in the throng of admirers and several guards ran to the spot at once to attend to it. When this occurred, a woman in the audience saw her opening and flew over the rope and launched herself at him.

He immediately noticed the woman coming at him. His bodyguards on the other hand, did not notice her immediately and were slow to react. As she flew towards him he felt no fear as he could see there was no malice on her face. Instead, she had a look of elation as she made her way to her hero.

When the woman reached Warhawk she threw her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. He returned the kiss and embraced her until his bodyguards pulled her away. "Thank you, we owe you everything," she yelled at him as the guards led her away. She continued talking more, but after a certain distance he couldn't hear her voice over the crowd.

He reached the stairs to the palace and paid no attention to the crowd anymore. As he ascended the stairs he motioned one of the bodyguards who had remained behind and spoke to him. "Take the woman to a decent room and question her. I don't think she is harmless, but make sure of that. If she turns out to be harmless hold on to her until I give you further instructions." As he disappeared into the Capitol building the sounds of the crowd died down.

Warhawk walked the halls with his most trusted friends and advisors around him. These people all knew his real identity as Rex Stewart, but for now they were all to keep that knowledge to themselves. A Tamaranean delegation was inside and they didn't want any of them overhearing too much. They wanted the Tamaraneans to see him as Warhawk, the mysterious and militaristic savior of the Thanagarians.

Warhawk and his delegates reached the meeting hall before the Tamaraneans were ready for them. They all scrambled to take their places for the meeting. Rex looked around at them, but gave no indication of disparagement. He cared little for the diplomatic formalities that others might have cared about a great deal.

At the head of the table sat a large and well-built Tamaranian with a long grey beard. Rex immediately recognized him as Galfore, the guardian of Maril's mother when she was a child on Tamaran. After Koriand'r became queen, he stayed in her service as her liaison to the Tamaranean Council of Elders. Rex had met him a couple of times, but he knew the man did not know him well enough to recognize him or his voice in any capacity. He had nothing to fear by having this meeting with him.

"I care little about how diplomatic protocol dictates this meeting should be held," he said as he glanced at the other end of the table where he should have been sitting. "In my experience there is nothing that beats talking closely to someone face to face. It helps when they are in a position where you can read their body language and clearly see their facial expressions."

Galfore smiled as he got up and walked up to meet Warhawk. "I've never been one for protocol either, even though it was often my duty to teach it to the Queen. I have always preferred the direct face-to-face meeting as well. I won't even point out you're not quite living up to the ideal with half your face covered."

"As the host of this meeting, I should be able to reserve at least one privilege for myself. Besides, it shouldn't be that important for you to look me in the eyes. It's not like we're getting married here."

There was a gasp out of all the professional diplomats around them, but Galfore just laughed at his joke. "It's refreshing to a see a politician not so full of themselves," he said. Rex didn't feel the need to correct him and tell Galfore he wasn't exactly a politician.

"We should get down to business, there is much to discuss," Galfore began. "I have been ordered by the Queen to deliver a message to you that Tamaran regrets the fact it ignored the plight of the Thanagarian people for so long. The smuggling of weapons to aid you in your revolution was a first step we took in order to right several past wrongs. We hope a new, strong friendship with your nation can be achieved despite any resentment your people might have for us."

"From what I have heard, your only regret was that after our defeat the Gordanians began to set their sights on Tamaran. Your aid to us was only for your own self-protection. By having us fight the Gordanians, it helped prevent your nation from having to do so. You wish to continue sending us weapons, but you don't want it to look like it is in your own self-interest. I wish to clear your conscious, you can send us weapons and munitions in a cynical fashion and we won't care one bit. We have no choice other than to fight the Gordanians for our freedom. We don't care why you are arming us, we just need the weapons."

Rex looked around at all the Tamaranean delegates. From the looks on their faces and their body language he could tell he was on the right track with what he was saying. "As I said previously, I have little need for the formalities of diplomacy that much of the universe seems to run on. You were here to make a deal with me ensuring that if you continue to ship us armaments we will continue to use them to fight the Gordanians and keep them off your backs. I am here to tell you that agreement is fine with me. You can stay here a couple more days if you need to make your Queen think you worked hard and followed all the normal protocols. I will even assign someone to show you around, if you want. I think we are done here, then, go back and tell your Queen you can keep the shipments flowing."

Rex turned and walked away when Galfore yelled for him to stop. Rex thought about just ignoring him and walking out, but was curious about what the old man had to say. He turned back to look at him.

"While much of what you said is correct, there is one proposal I was sent to make that you are probably not anticipating. It is a proposal that is extremely classified. I am going to ask the rest of my delegation to leave. I would suggest you do the same, as it is best that what I am going to tell you does not go too far."

The Tamaraneans all stood up and quickly left the room. Rex nodded to his contingent, and they did the same. Rex wasn't that worried about his people spreading rumors, but he wanted Galfore to feel he could speak freely.

When Galfore and Rex were alone, he picked up the conversation. "While my nation wishes to stay free of a war with the Gordanians, we do not wish to do so at the expense of the Thanagarians. The Elders of Tamaran realize the combined might of Tamaran and a free Thanagar is such that the Gordanians would never dare to fight a combined force of both. A combined force would achieve peace through strength and give your nation what it was been striving to achieve. The only question is how such an alliance would begin, and how it would proceed."

"I guess you have an idea for that?" Rex asked Galfore.

"Yes, I have a proposal to present to you that was given to me by the Tamaranean Elders. They wish for our two nations to be united as one. What I am about to tell you cannot leave this room, of course. Queen Korand'r is sick and is approaching death. She will be succeeded by her daughter Maril, a young woman who has spent most of her life on the planet Earth. There are grumblings among the populace and in our administration that she will not be able to lead Tamaran, as she knows so little about it. This presents an opportunity to take steps to dilute her responsibilities while uniting our nations. The people of Thanagar are calling you Emperor and consider you the equivalent of a royal ruler. Monarchy is a concept foreign to Thanagar, but with you as their leader they appear ready to embrace it. That is why the Elders of Tamaran propose uniting our two nations by a marriage between you and the future Queen of Tamaran."

Rex was almost shaking over what he was being told. Maril's mother was dying, she was about to become queen, and he was being asked to marry her. It was an opportunity for him to have what he always wanted; to have the life he thought had been lost to him. He knew it could never be, though. He was no longer the person Maril had fallen in love with. He had done things she would never approve of and would never be able to accept. A marriage could never work between them now.

Rex was about to decline the offer when he realized he was looking at things all wrong. This marriage wasn't about any personal relationship between him and Maril; it was about what was best for their nations. He knew that the history of Earth was full of royal marriages that were built around politics instead of love. This marriage would be just like that. It was clear this joining with Tamaran was in Thanagar's best interest, and Rex was going to have to take it.

"Has the future Queen been presented with this proposal, and if so, what did she say about it?" Rex asked.

"She does not know about this," Galfore admitted. "From what her mother says about her, she will accept it. On her home planet she is a superhero, and is accustomed to making the sacrifices to do what must be done. She will understand the need for Tamaran to unite with Thanagar and will accept the proposal. I know there may be concerns for what kind of relationship the two of you may have, but may I remind you this marriage will be purely political. The two of you will not have to spend time together other than official functions, and, of course, the production of an heir."

"I take it you are telling me this to gauge the possibility of having it officially presented?" Rex asked.

"Yes, there is no need to make an official overture if you would decline. Doing so would put us in the crosshairs of the Gordanians even more."

"And we can't have that," Rex said with snark in his voice.

"Are you willing to give us an answer?" Galfore asked.

Rex thought for a minute and then came up with the perfect answer. "I don't like the idea of playing safe and would not want to be in government with people who do not feel the same way. I want to see if your new queen is willing to take risks. I want to see if she has the courage to do it. If you are determined to have our two nations joined as one, have your new queen make the proposal to me. I will give my answer to her and her alone."

Rex turned and walked away before he could see Galfore's reaction to what he said. From what he knew about Galfore, he had a sense the man would understand what Rex was trying to do.

When Rex walked out of the room he was immediately met by the head of his security detail. The man informed Rex that the woman who had run up to him was nothing more than a harmless but overzealous fan. He hardly heard the man as he thought about the pain Maril would experience over having to deal with her mother's death. From what Galfore had said she would be experiencing it alone. He wished more than anything he could be there for her. After losing him, losing her mother would be extra tough for her.

He wondered if she would really accept the marriage proposal. She was always one to do her duty, but she was also a hopeless romantic. Accepting a loveless marriage would be difficult for her. However, if he were to reveal himself to her, she would think differently, if she would still be able to love him.

He tried to push Maril out of his mind and when it did the news on the overzealous fan sunk in. Looking back on the incident he remembered how much the woman resembled Maril. He stopped in his tracks as a thought occurred to him.

"Where is the woman you questioned at the moment?" he asked his head of security.

"We are still holding her."

"Ask her if she would like to go to see my quarters and take her there if she says yes," he commanded them.

Rex sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. He could hear Airon breathing as she slept peacefully on the other side of the bed. A million thoughts ran through his head and he tried to push them all aside.

Unlike many of the men he led, Rex never participated in the spoils of war. Each victory his men earned came with the attention of the newly freed citizens, particularly the females. While the men enjoined the companies of women the night of each big victory, Rex was always alone. He did not fight for such perks and would have felt it a betrayal of his love for Maril.

There were times where he tried to enjoy such perks, but he ended up never being able to go through with it. It was the same story tonight. In being reminded of what he had lost with Maril he felt the need for companionship, and Airon seemed more than willing to give him what he wanted. Once again, he couldn't go through with it. He spent the whole night pouring out his soul to her. It was much more reckless then having sex with her. Very few people who fought alongside him new his true story. To most of Thanagar he was a nameless and faceless prisoner who had broken out and then raised an army to throw out the Gordanian oppressors. No one cared about his history. There was little way any enemy could use his personal history against him, but he had always tried to play it safe and reveal personal details to only those he trusted the most.

Airon seemed to worship him so much that it appeared there was no way she would reveal he was the son of Shayera Hol. To Rex's surprise, Airon was not a young, star struck girl, but an older woman with children. She was so thankful to Rex that because of him, her children would not have to grow up on a world oppressed by the Gordanians. She had listened attentively to everything he said and tried to comfort him. When she had said all she could she laid down and went to sleep.

Rex was feeling hot and thought taking in the cool night air would be good for him. He walked to the doors of the balcony and when he threw them open he felt the night wind blow all over his naked body. The cool air hitting his wet skin made him feel refreshed. He walked all the way out and looked over the capital city.

It was the middle of the night and the city was still completely lit up. Since the Gordanians had been expelled from the city it had become the city that never slept. He hoped the Gordanians would stay away forever and it would always be that way. Maybe if Thanagar united with Tamaran the world would be able to see the peace it needed.

Rex sighed as he realized he was not going to be able to get Maril out of his head for the foreseeable future. He looked up at the night sky as he thought of her. He remembered how whenever he took a trip to Tamaran with her she pointed out Earth and Thanagar for him. She would always stand behind and point out the stars to him. As he thought about it he could almost feel her warm breath on the back of his neck.

As he attuned his senses to his surroundings he could hear Airon walking up behind him. As she put her arms around his stomach and pressed her naked body against his he imagined that she was Maril. The image was ruined when she wrapped her wings around him and started brushing her feathers against him. The sensation felt great to him and he just took it in instead of telling her to stop.

Rex felt Airon press one of her cheeks against his back. He next felt her run her fingers along one of the scars where his wings used to be. "You've suffered so much for us, for our people," she said to him.

He made no reply as she planted a few kisses on the scar. "Are you looking for home?" she asked him when she was done.

"Yes," he replied. "I'm trying to find Earth's sun in the night sky."

"It's the bright one to the left, right against the horizon," she said as she pointed it to him. He looked in the direction and found it.

"Are you thinking about your fiance, your family?" she asked him.

"Of course," he replied.

"You should send them a message. Tell them you are alive. You would be freeing them from so much pain." Airon pressed her face against the back of Rex's shoulder and kissed it. She continued stroking him with her wings.

They had spent almost the entire night talking about how he couldn't do that. They would detest everything he had done to free Thanagar. His mother detested the Thanagarian Elders for the way they had been willing to sacrifice all of Earth for victory. She had tried to instill in him he should never kill for any reason, she taught him to save everyone, even his enemies. Maril was the same way. She was a superhero who could barely stand to hurt a fly. In all the conversations they had as children about what they would do as superheroes, she always said she could never kill.

There were others who would think differently, of course. Helena didn't completely see eye to eye with her father on the no killing rule. His father was a former Marine who had been in war and might understand many of the things Rex had to do. Even with him, he was afraid he would not be able to tolerate everything.

"They will know the truth soon enough," he said to her. He had told her all about the proposal and his prediction Maril would make the offer to him. They would all know who he was then and would have to live with the knowledge of what he had done.

Airon moved her wings away from him. She flapped them and flew up and flipped around so that she came down facing him. She landed in his arms and they started kissing.

Rex broke off the kissing and pushed Airon away. "You should get out of here," he said. "I can't do this."

Airon rubbed his cheek with her hand. "I don't understand why you cause yourself so much pain. You can have everything you want, it's there for you." She walked back inside his room. He gave her enough time to dress and leave, then he headed inside himself.


	11. Chapter 11: The BreakUp

**Chapter 11**

Wonder Woman stood in the middle of the lab, surrounded by humanoid animals. Two weeks ago she had been given information that another scientist was carrying on the work of the Cheetah with splicing animal and human DNA. With detective help from Bruce, she had found evidence that the Cheetah's protégé was creating their own Island of Dr. Moreau. She had come here to check it out and found the place apparently abandoned. When she walked into the lab everyone stepped out of their hiding place and she found herself surrounded by humans that had animal traits spliced into their DNA. There were birds, lions, bears, leopards, and other assorted humanoid animals that looked quick and powerful.

There was a female Cheetah looking down on her with an air of authority, and Wonder Woman guessed she was the one responsible for everything. "I was so glad you could make it Wonder Woman," the female feline hissed. "It is fitting you should be the first to see this, given the number of times you battled my mentor. I think looking around it is clear I have the imagination that she lacked. I have created an army she was never able to dream." A sly smile crossed her lips as she talked. "ATTACK!" she yelled.

All the animals descended on Diana at once. Some tried to ram her, some tried to claw at her, others tried to pick her up. While they were nasty and determined they were nowhere close to her in strength and agility. She avoided most of their blows and was able to absorb the few hits they landed. She focused on landing blows on them to knock them out without hurting them too badly. In a short time there were just a few left. They circled her as they sized her up. She looked around for the new Cheetah and found her near the door.

"You might have won this round, Wonder Woman, but you will never get me," she said as she ran off at lightning speed. The other animals that had been circling her attacked and she took care of them all. She looked to the door and thought about whether or not it was worth trying to go after the Cheetah.

All of a sudden the Cheetah came flying through the door hog tied and unconscious. She landed on the ground and slid past Wonder Woman. When she looked back at the door she saw her daughter walking inside.

"Good thing I showed up when I did, you might have lost one," Helena walked up next to Diana and stood next to her for a moment. "Maybe someone else needs to consider retirement," she said with a smile. Helena walked over to the main computer that had been built into the wall.

"Why aren't you in Gotham? Did your father send you out here?"

"It's morning in Gotham now, Mom," she replied. As she talked she ripped apart the computer in front of her. "All the criminals are in for the day. And yeah, Dad sent me out here because he thought you could use the help. Apparently I'm not the only one he can't believe is able to work alone."

From the way Helena was talking Diana could tell Bruce wasn't patched in watching everything she was doing at the moment. She wondered if it was because he wanted to avoid contact with her, or because he just felt Helena was her responsibility right now. "Your father only watches you from the cave because he still needs to fight crime somehow, and that's the best way for him to do it." Diana noticed Helena throwing the computer parts all over the place. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Helena seemed to find what she was looking for and pulled it out. "For someone who was married to my father and worked with him for decades you certainly picked up very little." She walked up to her mother and held up what she had in front of her. "Someone was funding this, and their hard drive should tell us everything."

Helena and Diana both looked up as they heard the roar of jets overhead. "I called in the authorities," Helena said. "It looks like they're here to round up the animals." She looked over at her mother. "Want to look at this with me? We can do it at the Batcave. Dad's doing work with the company, he won't be around to bother us and tell us we're doing everything wrong."

Diana was dumbfounded her daughter was making the offer for them to work together. She was quick to accept it. "Okay, lead the way."

Helena walked out to the Batwing and Diana followed. Rather than fly herself, Diana decided to ride with her daughter. They took their seats and Helena flew them back to Gotham.

"Dad enjoyed working with you," Diana heard her daughter say softly.

"What was that?" Diana asked, wanting her daughter to repeat it.

"Dad enjoyed working with you," she repeated. "He said it reminded him of old times."

Diana thought about what Bruce might have meant with that as they reached the cliff the manor was on top of. Helena flew the Batwing into the cave and landed it. She jumped out and walked to the computer without saying anything to Diana. She plugged the hard drive up to the Batcomputer and worked the controls to get it to download everything off the hard drive. The monitor readout showed it was going to take a while to decode everything.

"There's something you need to see," Helena said to her mother as she walked away from the computer and towards the lift down to the Batboat.

"What is it?" Diana asked as she followed her daughter. She stepped onto the lift with her and they descended as Helena explained things to her mother.

"You know how you said earlier Dad needed to stay involved as a superhero in some capacity."

"Yes," Diana answered.

"Well, merely serving as my computer expert isn't enough for him, apparently." They reached the bottom of the cliff and Diana saw tools and parts scattered all over the place. Jutted up against the cave wall to their right was a mannequin wearing a sleek and new Batman costume.

"Is your father constructing a new costume?" she asked as she ran to inspect it.

"It's either that or he is secretly starting a new clothing line. My bet is on the new superhero costume."

"How long has he been working on this?"

"At least two months, that was when I discovered it. He probably figured this would be a safe place since I never use the boat. I started to notice things were missing, though, and combed the Batcave looking for them. That was when I found this. He's obviously trying to make something extremely high tech. He must be counting on the technology to make up for what he lost physically."

"What do you plan to do about this?" she asked her daughter.

Her daughter let out an audible snicker. "I'm showing you this because I thought you could do something about it. The fact that he is doing this under my nose shows that he knows I wouldn't approve and had already discarded that as a reason for stopping. I thought that maybe there was something you could say to him that would get him to come to his senses."

Diana suddenly realized how little her daughter knew about the relationship she had with her father. "I learned a long time ago there was little I could do to change your father's behavior. Talking to him is useless. He is going to do whatever he is determined to do."

Helena let out a huff as she walked back to the elevator. "I thought you could at least give it a shot," she said as she walked into the lift. "Some superhero you are, too afraid to even talk to your ex-husband." Helena started up the lift. "I take it you can find your own way out," she shouted back at her mother. "You seem to be really good at walking out on us."

Helena's words stung Diana and caused her to think about the moment when she left Bruce.

Diana walked into the infirmary room to find Bruce and Helena sleeping. The three year old girl was still small enough to fit on the hospital bed with her father. She was sleeping next to him with her head lying on his chest.

Diana looked over the outputs of the machines he was hooked up to. Every reading indicated he was okay for the moment. From what Dr. Mid-Nite had said, Bruce would heal up just fine. It wouldn't even be that long before he would be able to go out on patrol again.

The thought of Bruce ever going out on patrol again scared Diana. She felt there were times Bruce forgot he was not invulnerable like all the other superheroes around him. They had a daughter now and she didn't want him putting himself in harm's way. He had to understand his time as a superhero was ending.

Bruce began to stir and Diana grabbed his hand. "I'm here Bruce," she told him.

He opened his eyes and looked down at their sleeping daughter. Seeing her brightened him up and he smiled at her. "I'm glad the two of you are here," he said. There was no fear in his voice. No sense he had been near death and come back. Diana made note of that as she thought about what she had to do.

She went to the intercom and radioed for Shayera to come in the room. She lifted Helena off the bed. The girl stayed perfectly asleep as her mother lifted her. She gave her to Shayera and asked her to take the girl to her room. She complied and left Bruce and Diana alone.

Diana waited a few seconds until she was sure Helena would be out of earshot before she started talking to her husband. "How fucking insane are you?" she yelled at him. Bruce seemed genuinely taken aback at what she said. "How in the hell can you take so many risks that could cost you your life? You of all people, who know what it's like to have a parent die on you, seem so unconcerned about putting our daughter through the pain of losing you."

"We're superheroes, Diana, this is what we do," he said to her defiantly. "You could die any day the same as me."

"No I couldn't," she yelled back at him. "I'm over two thousand years old for God's sake. I've never been in the infirmary. You practically live here now."

"Are you forgetting Superman even died," Bruce said.

"That's a horrible example. He was never really dead. He came back in a few months. You can't do that. You're not like us, Bruce."

"You're right, I'm not," he replied. "I know the horrors that even the lowliest criminals can inflict. I know how crime can destroy the lives of its victims. I made a promise to my parents that I can't take back now that it's a little harder to carry out. I have to do this, Diana."

Diana couldn't look at him anymore. She stood with her back turned to him and shook her head. "You may have to do this, but I don't have to watch you do this. I can't watch you do this. I can't watch you kill yourself. I sure as hell won't let our daughter watch it either."

"What are you trying to say, Diana?"

"I thought the World's Greatest Detective might be able to figure it out. I'm leaving you Bruce. I'm taking Helena with me. If you plan on get yourself killed then I figure we are both better off acting like you're already dead."

As Diana flew to the top of the cliff she thought about all the times she believed she had made a mistake leaving Bruce. She never corrected it because she knew her actions had damaged their relationship beyond repair. The break had been made and it could not be undone.

Wonder Woman reached the main part of the Batcave and looked around at all the trophy cases of Bruce's conquests that were lying around. She always found it ironic the man who seemed to take the least amount of joy out of being a superhero kept a personal museum of mementos.

Instead of flying straight out she took a moment to walk around the display cases. It had been two decades since she had walked through it all. It had not changed as much as Diana had expected it would.

As Diana looked through the displays she was transported back in time to when Helena was a toddler and she used to play in this area. She would run around and hide behind the cases until one of her parents tracked her down. When found she would let out a hearty laugh that Diana found the sweetest sound in the world.

Diana stopped in front of the giant penny and looked at her reflection in it. As a toddler Helena used to love to look at her reflection in the shiny metal surface of it. She would go so far as planting her face right up against it and kissing her own reflection. Diana was always afraid Helena was going to cause the penny to fall on top of her, but Bruce always scoffed at the notion that could happen. He always maintained it was firmly set in its holder and reminded her that even if it did fall on Helena, she was nearly invulnerable and it wouldn't hurt her.

Diana never had the confidence in their daughter's strength that Batman did. She knew her daughter would inherit much of her power, but wasn't sure just how much. She knew Helena's situation was analogous to Kara and her diluted Kryptonian genetics, which proved to make her much weaker then Clark on the invulnerability front.

Diana had lied somewhat about why she left Bruce. The main reason she took Helena away from him is she was afraid Helena would end up just like her father; reckless to the point of being suicidal. Helena was not immortal and Diana knew that she would one day have to see her daughter die, but she wanted that day to be as far away as possible.

As her daughter grew Diana was pleased to see just how much of her strength and invulnerability she inherited from her mother. She began to feel much easier about her daughter living a long life, even though she was always nagged by the idea she may one day have to face her own Doomsday.

In her time away from Bruce, Diana began to see him in a different light. She once again saw him as a cunning and intelligent hero who reached the heights of other superheroes through extra hard work and superior planning. She began to believe there was much her daughter could learn from him. She believed many of those things might one day help her stay alive in the face of a superior enemy.

Sending her daughter to live with her father was the most difficult thing Diana had ever done. It was a break that was not easy for her, but one she knew she had to make. The two of them needed each other.

As Wonder Woman flew out she thought about how her relationship with her husband and daughter were complicated by the knowledge she was going to outlive them. She had already made her break with them. She couldn't let them get close only to lose them.

The machines beeped with every heartbeat of Queen Koriand'r. The woman had been resting in silence for a while, trying to save up enough strength to deliver one last message to her two children. She took several deep breaths to provide her body with more oxygen before she said her last words.

She opened her eyes to see Maril and Richie sitting on each side of her. They were both leaning over the bed, watching her closely. Neither one made much movement when she opened her eyes and looked them over.

She looked around for Dick Grayson, her ex-husband. Her vision was weak, but she saw him standing in the back of the room, along with her brother, Ryalda. Now that she knew where everyone was, she concentrated on her children again.

They stayed silent as she looked them over. Her daughter, Maril, was the epitome of beauty to her. She looked like a young clone of her mother, save for the raven colored hair which she inherited from her father. Her son, Richie, was the exact opposite. He looked just like his father, except from the bright red hair he got from his mother.

Maril was alone while Richie was accompanied by his wife, Olivia. She was standing behind her husband, and had her hands on his shoulders to comfort him. Koriand'r didn't know much about Olivia outside of what her son told her. She had known her parents well and knew she took after the two of them. Kori knew she was a good hero and would make a fine wife for her son.

"Take my hand, son," she said as she pushed her hand out towards her son. She was so weak she couldn't even lift it up. Richie clasped her right hand with both of his.

As she talked her voice was weak and squeaky. It sounded nothing like what her children remembered. "You've made me proud son. You've followed in your father's footsteps and have become a powerful and noble superhero."

Kori glanced up at Richie's wife before she looked back at him and continued talking. "You have taken after your father in all ways, and I want you to know your place belongs on Earth. You have a city you can protect, and a wife who is at home there. Do not forget this place, though. It is part of your heritage and I hope your children will know about Tamaran and come here often on visits."

"Of course, Mom," Richie told her as he rubbed his mother's hand.

"Of course," Olivia added, reiterating what her husband told his mother.

Content with what she told her son, the Queen turned her attention to her daughter. She knew the girl didn't handle death well and expected her to be crying and inconsolable. Instead, Maril was calm and collected. Kori thought about how much strength and maturity her daughter was showing.

Kori pushed her hand out for Maril to take and her daughter grabbed it with her right hand and held it tightly. It hurt Kori at first, but she refrained from wincing. She didn't want her daughter to realize she was hurting her sick mother. After a few seconds Maril's grip loosened and Kori felt better.

"Maril, you have been a better daughter then I ever could have hoped to have. You have grown into a beautiful and kind woman and have become a great and powerful hero. I know if you were to stay on Earth you could become a great and respected leader in the League. Dick and Richie have told me you have many close friends in the League and that others look up to you. I am very proud of you for what you have accomplished."

Kori's demeanor slowly changed. Despite her illness she had been as joyous as she could manage. As she thought about what she had to say to her daughter, the joy disappeared. "I know you could have a great life if you stay on Earth, but your place is here. You are in line to become Queen and I know you will make a great one. I tell you to become Queen with a heavy heart as I know the sacrifices that are required by putting your people first."

Kori paused for a moment as she thought about what she wanted to say next. "I know you have suffered much in your life already." She didn't get specific about Rex's death, but Maril, Richie, and Olivia all recognized that was what she was referring to. "I know you might feel like your fate lies on this planet because you lost your love on Earth, but don't think that. Fate has given you this opportunity to become the ruler of Tamaran. Accept it and be the best ruler you can. Put the people first, but remember you do not have to accept everything and anything put forward to you as Queen. You are very wise despite your age, and I trust your judgment."

As Kori said her last words to her daughter her voice became softer and softer. When she was done she closed her eyes and leaned back. The Queen loosened the grip she had on Maril's hand, but Maril kept a firm grip on her mother. She could feel her hand was still warm, meaning blood was still flowing through it.

Olivia had been entrusted with the hand console that kept track of the Queen's vital signs. When she saw Kori become weaker she quickly took it off her belt and checked it. She had started crying heavily when the Queen closed her eyes, but gained her composure when she looked at the console. Maril was looking at Olivia and took that as a sign her mother hadn't passed away yet.

The three of them continued watching the Queen. Maril had retained her grip on one of her mother's hands and Richie had grabbed the other again. Maril could feel her mother's hand growing cold, but could see her chest still rise and fall, indicating she was still breathing. She glanced over at Richie and Olivia and could tell they had their eyes on the Queen, watching her chest move along with her.

It wasn't too long until there was no sign the Queen was breathing. For a while, Maril, Richie, and Olivia were unable to do anything. Finally, Maril saw out of the corner of her eye Olivia grab the console out of her pocket. Maril saw her look at the console screen and start crying harder than ever.

"Is she dead?" Richie asked with a cracking voice. Olivia was unable to speak and just nodded her head.

Richie started crying harder as well and his wife threw her arms around her. "I'm sorry," she said over and over as she rubbed his chest to try and soothe him.

Maril kept her composure. To the surprise of herself, she didn't cry at all. As Richie and Olivia comforted each other Maril leaned further over her mother and put her hand to her chest. She could feel through her clothes her mother's body was cold. She didn't feel her chest rising with any breaths nor did she detect any heartbeat.

Maril left her brother and sister-in-law with her mother's body and went to talk to her father and uncle. She knew they were aware of what happened, but spelled it out for them anyway. "She is dead. It is over," she stated to the two men simply.

"Are you okay?" her father asked her with a heavy voice as he put his hand on her shoulder.

Maril gently pushed his hand away to indicate she was okay. "I'm fine," she stated with a strong voice. She had duty and authority now and she had to live up to it. "There is business we should be attending to, I think."

"I will go and tell Galfore, so he can send the word out to the local media," her father said. We can also start with the diplomatic messages." In a surprise to Maril, her father bowed to her before he left the room. She smiled at the formality he was exhibiting.

"If you think you're up to it, you can come with me and meet with the Elders," her uncle said to her.

"I'll go with you and speak to them," Maril said to her uncle. "It appears my mother's death won't be the most unpleasant event of the day for me," she said as she walked out of the room with her uncle following her.


	12. Chapter 12: Engagement

**Chapter 12**

Helena walked along the bloodied floor of the abandoned bar. She inspected the dead bodies that had deposited the blood on the floor. There were three of them scattered around the bar. They had all been killed in an obvious hit, most likely another gang trying to take out the competition.

"What do you make of this," the commissioner asked her.

"Looks like three henchmen caught up in the middle of a gang war. I've been seeing a lot of this recently. For some reason each gang in this city is trying to assert its power. I'm afraid a bloody war is going to break out here."

"Luckily we have you to prevent anything like that happening," the commissioner said to her. Helena was always uncomfortable whenever others implied she could do absolutely anything. She had her limits, she couldn't do everything. This was looking to be one such time where that might be true.

"It looks like your crew can do the dirty work here," she told the commissioner. "I've seen everything I need to. I can get the forensics results off the police computers myself."

Helena went out the back door without worrying about being inconspicuous. Her father always tried to sneak away when no one was looking to keep up the mysterious reputation. Helena never felt the need to do those kinds of things. Her powers gave her enough of a reputation.

Helena jumped up to the roof of the bar and looked up at the sky. Few stars were visible, but the nearly full moon was. Night had just started and there was already one bloodbath. She wondered if there would be any more before the night ended.

Helena had left the Batwing a couple of buildings away. It was on top of a much taller skyscraper. She jumped up on top of a nearby apartment building that was ten stories tall. She jumped over to a higher office building and then up and over to the skyscraper where she had left the Batwing.

When Helena came down she was shocked to find her mother waiting for her. "Checking up on the job I'm doing?" she asked.

"No, Helena," her mother replied simply. There was no anger in her voice because her daughter was being snarky with her. There was also no playfulness either. There was only sadness.

"Then what are you here for?" Helena asked. She jumped into the cockpit as she waited for her reply.

"I had some news to deliver that I though you would want to hear from someone in person," her mother said as she leaned over the cockpit.

Helena knew immediately what she was talking about. "Maril's mother passed away, didn't she?" Helena asked.

"Yes, we just got word a half hour ago. If you want to try and contact Maril, I could watch. . ."

Helena didn't let her mother finish her sentence. "Maril can contact me if she needs to. I'm sure she is busy with political duties and I have a city about to blow up in war. We can talk later."

Helena closed the cockpit on her mother and took off from the building. Diana watched the Batwing fly across the city. She thought about the coldness her daughter had exhibited when talking about Koriand'r's death. She said the kinds of things her father would have said. She wondered how much of it was difficulty over dealing with the death of her best friend's mother, and how much of it was a true coldness she was developing. Diana was beginning to worry about her daughter. Her best friend was moving to a new planet and her marriage to Connor was looking like it was never going to happen. She was growing more distant from the rest of the league as well. Diana worried her daughter was turning into an extreme loner. As much as she didn't want to intrude in her daughter's life too much, she thought she should at least have a talk with her about some things.

Lal Talek walked through the halls of the presidential palace. Her boots clanked against the marble floor. The palace had been abandoned after the Gordanian takeover of Thanagar and laid dormant for two decades. When Warhawk's ascension to power gave the Thanagarians their own government again, he insisted he reside in the presidential palace for its symbolism. He cared little about how it looked, though. He didn't need the fancy accommodations to live.

The hall Lal walked down was completely bare. There was little indication the head of a planet lived there. In a way, the plain accommodations were much more fitting for him. She reached his bedroom door and knocked on it. While it was the middle of the night she knew Rex had been having trouble sleeping lately and that he was likely awake. "Come in," she heard him yell from behind the door. He didn't bother to ask who it was.

Lal walked in and found Rex lying in bed with his hands behind his head. He was staring up at the ceiling. She could see his face in the moonlight and it appeared he was not tired at all. "I have news for you, sir," she said to him as she bowed.

"You don't need to do that," he said in reference to the bow. "You knew me when I was nothing, you are equal to me."

"I am not, sir," she said to him with confidence. "I was not the one who led the resistance to victory. "

Rex sat up as she talked. "What was the news you had for me?" he asked.

"We just received word from Thanagar that Queen Koriand'r has passed away," she informed him. "From what we know, Maril has not yet been presented with the proposal the Elders had for uniting our two nations. They must be telling her soon, though."

Rex was moved by the news of the Queen's death. "Leave me," he practically shouted as he held his head in his hands. She quietly walked out and left him to grieve in private.

Maril sat before the Elders with her hands in her lap. She was playing around with them nervously. She had just been told the plans they had for uniting Tamaran and Thanagar. She saw the need for Tamaran to form the alliance with Thanagar, but she was hesitant at the idea of having to marry a complete stranger.

"Do you understand everything?" the Head Elder asked her. She looked up at all the Elders around her. They were seated around her in way that made her feel like a student being looked down at and inspected. It made her forget she was the royal who was supposed to rule over them.

"I understand it all," she replied.

"You might want to take a day to think about it," the Head Elder told her.

"I agree to it. I'll do it," she replied. Her reply was so quick she actually surprised herself. She had said yes almost entirely on instinct. In a flash her mind had gone through all the pros and cons. She knew unifying with Thanagar was in the best interest of Tamaran. The personal cost of it was high for her; she was agreeing to an arranged marriage with a man she didn't know. The cost didn't seem so high when she reminded herself she was convinced she may never find love again after the loss of Rex. At least, she knew she could never have with anyone else what she had with Rex.

The faces of the Elders all showed joy over the news she had agreed to their proposal. Maril got up to leave. "Can you stay behind?" the Head Elder asked. "There are details we should work out."

"They can wait," she said to him, asserting her power. "I need to contact someone about an important detail of my upcoming marriage. This is one detail this council is going to have no say over."

Helena flew the Batwing into the cave and docked it in its perch. She jumped down from it as she took off her helmet. It had been a long and tough night and she was anxious to get out of the costume and put the night behind her.

"You look like hell," her father said to her as he looked back at her from the Batcomputer."

"That's because the city's going to hell," she said as she leaned on the computer console to rest. She stretched out her neck and looked up at the ceiling as she stretched out. "It's never going to end, is it?" she asked her father.

Bruce couldn't reply to his daughter's query. Her question reminded him of the doubts he had about whether or not his career had been successful. He had taken up the mantle of Batman in order to end crime in the city. Instead, his battle had turned into a never ending war. Even his daughter, who was ten times as powerful as he was, seemed to do little more than tread water in their war against crime.

Bruce was saved from having to answer his daughter's question by the Batcomputer announcing there was an incoming call for Huntress, from Nightstar. To Bruce's surprise his daughter didn't immediately kick him out of the cave so she could answer the call.

"Your mother found you tonight, didn't she?" Bruce asked her.

"Yeah, she told me the news about Starfire."

"I think Maril wants to talk to you about it," Bruce said as he got up to leave.

"I know," she said as she took his seat. She refrained from bringing up the live feed.

"I'll go up and make breakfast," Bruce said to his daughter.

"Isn't it a little early?" she asked.

"It's dawn out, you didn't notice that when you came in?"

"I guess my mind was on other things." Bruce went up to the manor and left her. Helena punched through Maril's feed. Her face appeared on the monitor before her.

Helena tried to read her face to determine how her friend was feeling. Helena saw a look of strength on her face, but little sadness.

"How are you doing?" Helena asked her friend.

"My mother passed away a couple hours ago," she said without answering Helena's question.

"I know, my mother informed me," Helena replied. "You look like you're holding up well."

"Yes," Maril replied. "I have been preparing for it for a while now. Also, I have too much responsibility now to let myself fall to pieces over her death." Maril paused for a moment. Helena wasn't sure if it was because she needed to collect herself emotionally or if it was because she was thinking about what she was going to say next.

"How is everyone else doing?" Helena asked.

"Myfather has been stoic and emotionless since I got here," Maril answered. "He is really taking after your father. I'm sure he will be proud to here that. My brother was inconsolable right at the time of death. I just saw him a minute ago and he is much better now."

Maril paused for a minute as she chose her words carefully. "I needed to talk to you about one of the responsibilities I now have as the incoming queen of my nation," Maril began. She took a deep breath as she prepared herself for what she needed to say. Helena was puzzled Maril was having trouble spitting out what she needed to say.

"I know you probably aren't going to like hearing what I have to say," Maril began. "The Tamaranean Elders have determined it is in the best interest of Tamaran to form a close alliance with Thanagar, and-"

"Thanagar is still under the thumb of the Gordanians," Helena pointed out as she interrupted her friend.

Maril seemed upset by being interrupted. Either that or she didn't like the point Helena made. She looked around the room she was in, then leaned closer to the screen and talked quietly. "Thanagar is close to declaring its independence under the leadership of its new emperor," she said. Maril moved back from the screen. She lowered her head as she thought of something. Helena knew the news she wasn't going to like was coming. Her mind raced with what it could be.

Maril lifted her head back up so Helena could look at her as they spoke. "I misled you slightly when I said Tamaran is merely going to form an alliance with Thanagar. The truth is we are going to become one nation with them. This will take place after I am coronated as queen. The day after my coronation I am set to marry this Thanagarian emperor and together we will rule over the combined nation of Tamaran and Thanagar."

When Maril was done speaking her eyes shifted all around the room. She had trouble focusing on Helena as she was afraid of what her reaction would be. It took Helena several moments to fully comprehend what her friend had told her.

"Are you insane?" she blurted out at the screen. "When were you first presented with this little proposal?"

"A couple hours ago," Maril admitted.

"A couple hours! A couple hours!" Helena was extremely incredulous with what Maril was telling her. "You made a major life decision like this in a couple hours."

Maril's facial expression changed and she appeared angry with Helena's reaction. "This decision wasn't about me; it was about the Tamaraneans and the Thanagarians. I have billions of people to think about here. You're the princess of Themyscira, has it never occurred to you there might be sacrifices you would have to make if you were to assume the throne there."

What Maril said made sense to Helena. She hated the idea her friend had to be the one to make sacrifices like that. She hated the idea Maril had to be the one to give up the idea of ever finding love again.

A thought struck Helena as she went over what Maril would have to give up if she married this general. She initially didn't feel it would be appropriate to ask Maril about it, but then thought she should be able to ask Maril anything, especially something this important.

"Maril, I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to answer honestly, okay," she said to her friend.

"Okay," Maril replied tartly.

Helena took a deep breath as it was her turn to say something to Maril she was not going to want to hear. "I want to make sure-I need to know you are truly doing this because it is what is best for your planet. I don't want to ever think that you agreed to this because it frees you from having to look for love. I know ever since Rex died-"

"It has nothing to do with Rex," Maril answered in haste. Helena was a bit skeptical of her reply since she answered so tersely, but she trusted her friend not to lie to her.

"Okay then," Helena answered. "I trust you when you say you're doing this for your people. But I don't think you have had the chance to think about everything this might entail. You don't have great love for the Thanagarians right now. Being married to one could be a real trial for you. If you can't handle the marriage, or can't stand ruling the Thanagarians, this could really blow up in a bad way and make things much worse for both your planet and Thanagar."

"I know it might be tough," Maril admitted to Helena. "But I am going to have to learn to put my feelings aside about the Thanagarians. We have been trained to do this kind of thing, remember. We were trained to put our feelings for our fathers aside when we went on patrol with them."

Helena wasn't sure if Maril had cited the best example. Helena remembered all the patrols she went on with her father. She was never supposed to worry about him; she was only supposed to worry about the crime victims. It never worked out that way; Helena was always keeping one eye on her father to make sure nothing happened to him. From conversations she had with Maril she knew she did the same thing.

"I'm sorry I doubted you so much," Helena said with remorse. "You're responsible and I should have known you would never have agreed to this without thinking things through."

"Don't feel bad," Maril said. "I'm far from perfect, and I need people like you to check me on things. I wanted to talk to you partly to make sure I had examined all angles of this. Also, I had something I wanted to ask you. I was wondering if you would be my Maid of Honor?"

For a moment all of Helena's fears and reservations about Maril's marriage disappeared. She was flattered the girl would ask her to be her Maid of Honor. While Helena knew she would have doubts all the way to the moment of the wedding, she tried to concentrate on the fact her friend might at least be able to have the ceremony of her dreams.

"I'd be honored to be your Maid of Honor." Maril's face beamed with joy upon hearing Helena's reply. "Just don't put me in a really ugly dress," Helena said with a smile.

Maril laughed hard at Helena's joke. Helena detected relief in Maril's laugh. She guessed it was the first time the girl had laughed in a while.

"You don't have to worry about what kind of dress I may try and put on you. Because of the proud warrior history of Tamaran it is traditional for the attendants to wear military attire. I'm sure you have some Amazonian armor that would be good for this."

"I'm sure I can find something," Helena replied.

Maril looked around again. "It looks like I have business to attend to now. I will contact you again about traveling out here. Please feel free to tell whoever you want. I know a lot of you were planning on coming out for my mother's funeral."

The screen went blank and Helena let out a deep sigh. She had put on a brave face for her friend, but she had serious doubts about what Maril was doing. She had to trust her friend to do the right thing. There was a lot of politics involved and while Helena didn't understand a lot of it, she knew Maril had to make her decision based on what was best for Tamaran.

Helena finally changed out of her costume and put on cutoffs and a T-shirt. As she changed she thought about Maril's wedding and having to leave Gotham when it was descending into turmoil. She was going to have to back out on the wedding. She had made an oath to protect the city and she couldn't break it, even for her best friend's wedding. It was a sham of a marriage anyway. Helena was sure Maril would understand.

Helena walked through the steel door and into the study. The sunrise was clearly visible through the windows of the study. After she pushed the clock back into its place she went to the window and took a moment to look out at it. The sunrise meant most of the criminals of Gotham would be staying inside and resting, unlike the rest of the residents of the city. The criminals would rest and plan for the schemes and attacks they wanted to carry out that night. She would rest up also and be ready for them.

The smell of cooked bacon reached her and she walked into the dining hall to see what her father had prepared. There was a plate of bacon and eggs with cheese at her place. She sat down and immediately started eating. Her father came out a few seconds later with his plate, plus a plate of muffins, which he laid on the table between her spot and his.

"Do you mind if I ask how Maril is holding up," he said as he sat down. Helena was amazed how domesticated her father could be at times.

"She's doing well," Helena replied. "She's been expecting this for a little while. She said her brother and father were doing okay as well. I just thought I would tell you in case you were actually worried about Dick." Helena snickered as she said that last part in jest. She always kidded her father about the way his former ward thought he didn't give a shit about him.

"Was that all the two of you talked about?" her father asked.

Helena was hesitant to answer. She knew telling her father about Maril's upcoming marriage would be a long conversation and she didn't feel like talking a lot right now. She quickly changed her mind as she realized it would be good to have his advice on the issue.

"Maril told me that Tamaran and Thanagar are going to be united into one nation. It's going to become official when she marries the Thanagarian general who just rose to power."

She paused so that she could give her father a little time to digest what she told him. "Was this the first time she told you about it."

"Yes," she answered. "The Elders had come up with the plan and presented it to her right after Starfire passed. She accepted it right away. It was definitely hasty, but it looks like it was obvious this was best for Tamaran."

"Even though she's family in a bit of a loose way it looks like she is keeping up the tradition of making personal sacrifices for completing one's duty.," Bruce said. Helena wasn't sure if her father was being sarcastic or serious.

"She asked me to be her maid of honor," Helena informed him.

"That's great news," her father said, genuinely happy.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to do it," Helena confessed. "The city's in turmoil and needs me. And Maril's not exactly having a dream wedding. It will be okay for me to miss it."

Helena heard her father's silverware slam against his plate. She jumped in surprise over his actions. "What's the problem?" she asked him.

"You can't miss the wedding," he said in a loud voice.

"But the city-"

"The city will survive," her father yelled as he interrupted her. "There is an entire league of superheroes that can look over it while you are gone."

"None of them are me," she protested.

"Your mother won't hesitate to help us out by looking over Gotham," he told her. "You might know that you don't have any powers she doesn't have."

"She doesn't have my training, remember. She doesn't know this city like I do."

"She'll have me to help her out. Together we're two thirds of the Triumvirate. We have dealt with situations much worse than a single city in flames. We can handle whatever is happening."

"I don't want to take the chance that something will happen when I am away," she pleaded with her father. "I know how despondent I will be if anything happens that I think I could have prevented."

"You can't think like that," her father said to her. His voice had a much different tone to it now. He was soothing instead of loud and angry. "I have worried about you lately and the distance you are placing between yourself and others. I have recognized a lot of destructive traits in you that I used to engage in myself. I know you made an oath to protect this city, but you can't let it consume you. You can become obsessed with everything you could protect if you had just a little more power or just a little more time. You need to learn to rely on others and let go. You need to nurture your friendships and I'm not talking about the benefits to your mental health. The friendships we have go a long way towards nurturing alliances. I wouldn't have the working relationship I do with your mother and Clark if I wasn't good friends with them. Our friendship has given us a level of trust that has been invaluable in several battles."

"Maril is going to live a world away," Helena said as she tried to make one last protest against her father. "She won't be much of an ally for me there."

"You never know when she might prove invaluable," her father replied. "The two of you have a special relationship that you should not simply toss aside. If you throw this friendship away I know you will regret it."

Helena didn't bring up the marriage her parents had thrown away, as that stood in contrast to a lot of things her father was trying to say. Some things her father had said did make her question how her parents were going to be able to work together when she was away.

"Are you and Mom actually going to be okay working together? The two of you can certainly have your. . .disagreements."

Her father smirked over her statement. "Your mother and I don't quite have the disagreements you think we do. We still know how to work together. You can go to Tamaran and you won't have to worry about us one bit."

"With my authority as the future Queen of Tamaran, I accept the proposal put forth for the union of Tamaran with the planetary nation of Thanagar." Rex watched as Maril announced her nation's acceptance of the unity proposal. He was only listening in on the conversation; he was not taking part in it. Lal was acting as his emissary and was doing all the talking for this.

"The transition will be difficult, I know," Maril continued. "I know I will be a young and inexperienced queen, but my mother has left me an administration full of experienced and talented individuals. I have heard the story about Warhawk's rise to power and am very impressed by the qualities he has displayed. I am sure he has a team around him that will be able to work with us and seamlessly unite our two countries as one."

Rex hung his head over hearing Maril say she admired him as Warhawk. She was likely just trying to be diplomatic about her attitude towards her future husband. She likely saw him as an authoritarian monster. When she found out the man she thought of as a monster was her old lover, Rex knew it would not go over well. The Maril he knew would be strong enough to deal with it, but he had no idea how much she had changed over the years.

For a moment he watched her without listening to what she was saying. He looked at her face closely. For a moment at least, he stopped telling himself he had to be emotionless. He stopped telling himself he had to put his past with her behind him. He took in all her features. She looked more beautiful to him then he remembered. For years he had told himself his memories of her beauty were idyllic, but now when he looked at her he felt his memories had not done her proper justice.

His heart ached over the thought they would never again be able to experience the great love they had before they were separated. There was a second where he thought he could break into the conversation and tell her he was still alive. In his mind she would start crying and thanking X'Hal he had been returned to her. He pushed this thought out of his mind as he realized it was a fantasy that would not be coming true.

He went back to studying her, this time examining her demeanor. She had just lost her mother a couple hours ago, yet she appeared on the screen strong and stoic. He wondered if this bore any resemblance to the way she had acted when she heard he was dead. He thought about Galfore's statement she had been scarred by the loss, and wondered how true this was.

He started listening to her again so he could gauge her emotional state from her voice. Her words were clear and concise. There was no breaking of her voice. She sounded calm and confident. She talked and acted like a born leader. She would be a great queen, as long as nothing he did screwed things up for her.

Her voice sounded more joyful as the conversation turned to the arrangements for the wedding itself. She appeared authentically happy that she was a least going to marry.

Rex thought back to all the plans Maril had for her wedding. While the two of them spent little time together engaged, Maril had dropped hints for years about what kind of ceremony she wanted. She had ideas of getting an elaborate Tamaranean dress custom made. Helena would be her maid of honor and would be dressed in full Amazonian battle armor, fitting with Tamaranean tradition. The thing she was most excited about of course was the planned release of doves and a variety of birds from Tamaran and Thanagar.

He wasn't listening that closely to hear if she was mentioning some of the things she had planned for her wedding since she was a little girl. He did hear Lal ask Maril if they would need help with attending to the Thanagarian traditions. Maril said it wouldn't be a problem as a Thanagarian women she knew who resided on Earth would be coming for the funeral and could help with the wedding.

Rex almost collapsed over the thought his mother would be there. It was going to be hard enough to have to reveal himself to Maril. He knew he could never stand to let his mother know he was still alive. She would be heartbroken and completely disappointed by what he had become. He had become everything she had raised him not to be. If she was going to stay for the entire ceremony he would have to hide his identity until she was gone.


	13. Chapter 13: The Last Warlord

**Chapter 13**

Lash-El punched the blast door and the metal crumbled at the force of his fist. The inconsistent surface gave him a grip. He grabbed the door and pulled it off, throwing it behind him.

"I'm through the inner perimeter," he said into his communicator. Guillotina, the leader of the Female Furies, was on the other line. She had been instructed to lead the Furies inside once he had broken through.

"_Don't harm Vunderbar,"_ Brainiac said to him in his head. "_Make sure his equipment is untouched. We are going to need it."_

"Why do we need his technology?" Lash-El asked Brainiac. "Can't you instruct us on how to make something much more advanced?"

"_The technical abilities of the minions we have at our disposal are not great. Pilfering Vunderbar's technology will be a superior route in comparison to building it ourselves._

Lash-El flew through the hallways in a flash. One weapon after another fired at him, but they had not been set up to attack someone of his speed. Every laser beam and missile was fired a second too late to be able to hit him.

He flew straight through the door of Vunderbar's control room. It stunned him a little so he took a moment to compose himself. That moment was enough time for Vunderbar to fire an electrical beam at Lash-El. He was caught in its grip, but was able to move enough to grab his whip and use it to knock the weapon out of Vunderbar's hand.

Vunderbar could do nothing else but run after it as it rolled along the floor. Lash-El took a moment to recover and lost sight of Vunderbar as he ran behind some machine. He was worried Vunderbar might actually recover his weapon until he heard the Furies shouting.

He flew out to see Vunderbar kneeling before Guillotina in submission before the Furies. "Good job, Guillotina," he said to the leader of the Furies. She smiled back at him.

"Take him to the prison," she said to the other Furies as she looked back at them. "We have a special cell set aside for him." The three Furies behind Guillotina ran up. Two of them grabbed him under each armpit while the third picked up his feet. They walked out of his control room, leaving Lash-El and Guillotina alone.

Guillotina ran to Lash-El and through her arms around him. She pressed her lips hard against his and kissed him. She broke the kiss, leaned up, and began whispering in his ear. "Why don't we fully celebrate your victory?"

Lash-El pushed her to the ground. For a moment Guillotina wasn't clear if he was declining her advances, or just engaging in rough foreplay.

"Take off your clothes," he commanded her.

She smiled up at him as he stood over her. "As you wish, my king," she answered in a sultry voice.

"_We have more important things to worry about," _Brainiac said to Lash-El. _Cease now."_

Lash-El ignored him completely. He threw himself on top of Guillotina. The AI gave out its version of a sigh as it patiently waited for the two to finish.

"Are you sure none of the other Amazons have been pilfering my armor?" Helena asked her grandmother. "I'm sure I had more here than this. I mean, anyone could just come in here and take anything. There are no locks or doors on this whole damn island."

Helena was looking all over her room on Themyscira for her ceremonial armor. Maril had told her this wedding would be military in nature and it would be entirely appropriate for her to wear her Amazonian armor as her bridesmaid. The only problem she was having was tracking it all down.

"Your aunts respect private property, despite your beliefs that we live a backward life where property rights don't exist. If there is something you can't find, it's likely because you took it to one of your ten houses and left it there."

"I'm looking for the helmet I have with the large plume on it," Helena said as she continued rummaging through the trunk in her room where she kept most of her armor.

"I think I saw you leave with it some time ago," Hippolyta answered.

Helena continued rummaging through her stuff as she paid no attention to what Hippolyta said. "Why do you want it so badly?" the queen asked.

Helena actually looked back and paid some attention to her grandmother. "I just thought something like that would look stately and ceremonial for the wedding."

"You said you're supposed to be in full battle gear in accordance with Tamaranean tradition. Why don't you wear one of the larger battle helmets?" her grandmother suggested.

"Good idea," Helena said as she grabbed the helmet with the thickest armor and threw it on the pile of stuff she wanted to take. "I probably shouldn't take a large chestplate," she said to herself. "I don't want to wear something too restrictive."

"So how long are you going to be off the planet?" Hippolyta asked.

"A couple weeks to a month," she replied. "The wedding will be over in a mere two weeks, but Maril might want me to stick around a little longer."

"I thought you were apprehensive about spending too much time away from Gotham," her grandmother said.

Helena was not pleased that her reservations about leaving had made it through the grapevine from her father to her mother to her grandmother. She wondered if there was actually anyone else in between in that thread of gossip.

"I had a nice talk with my father and he told me I can't obsess over what happens every moment I'm not out on patrol. He told me I need to learn to let go, and with this trip I'm starting to do that." She took a deep breath as she thought for a moment about everything that might happen while she was gone. She cleared the thought from her mind and tried to focus on Maril's wedding. Thinking about that was the only thing that was going to get her through this trip.

"It helps to know my mother will be watching over Gotham while I'm away," Helena told her grandmother. "The city is going to have two thirds of the triumvirate for the next few weeks; it couldn't be in better hands."

Hippolyta could hear the skepticism in her daughter's voice with that last part. "You seem to have a little doubt over your parents protecting the city."

Helena gathered up all her armor in one bag and slung it over her shoulder. "I worry about them working together. They can really go at it at times. They seemed to have lost trust in each other. I don't know how that it is going to go."

"They've been through a lot together and take their work very seriously," her grandmother reminded her. "You have nothing to worry about with them."

"I hope you're right," Helena said to her grandmother as she walked out to the Batwing.

Maril walked through the palace alone, thinking about everything that had happened over the past couple days. An hour ago she had taken a leave from her advisors and servants, telling them she needed a short amount of time away from everything.

She walked down to the royal gardens and walked around the recreated Tamaranean jungle. The thickness of the garden helped hide her from view of anyone who might have been looking out their windows. She was alone with her thoughts and she liked it.

She thought deeply about everything that had happened that day. She thought about her mother's final moments and started crying as she felt the impact of her death for the first time. She knelt to the ground and leaned back on a large tree trunk to support her weight.

When her back hit the tree she thought of how Richie had Olivia wrapping her arms around him and comforting him. Meanwhile, she had no one because the love of her life had been killed years ago. On the bright side of things not having anyone in her life left her free to marry some Thanagarian general and have a loveless marriage for the rest of her life.

For almost an hour she let her emotions out as she cried continuously. Her life was turning out nothing like she had imagined it. She thought about running away from everything, but knew she couldn't do that. She had been raised to be a superhero, to put others before herself. While becoming Queen and entering into a political marriage wasn't quite what she had dreamed for herself when she was little, it required her to put her own needs behind her just as much as any bit of superhero work. She had billions of people counting on her and she couldn't be selfish and let them down.

She pulled herself together and wiped the tears from her eyes. She calmed herself down by telling herself she could take pride in being a good queen. As for the marriage, she reminded herself she wouldn't have to spend much time with her husband if she didn't want to, and for the moment she didn't see herself wanting to spend much time with him. They would have to produce an heir of course, and she smiled and was actually filled with joy over the prospect of becoming a mother. The more she thought about the situation the more she was able to convince herself she would be able to make it work somehow.

With her composure back, she stood up and walked back in to the palace. She was still thinking about a lot of things and kind of wandered around the palace aimlessly. She didn't come across anyone so she didn't break out of her trance until she heard her father's voice. With her trance over she looked around and saw she had wondered into the visitor's wing of the palace. Her father's voice was coming from the guest room he was occupying.

The door was open and Maril stood just outside the room watching her father. He was talking to her stepmother through the viewscreen on the room's desk. She didn't call out to him or walk in the room as she didn't want to interrupt his conversation.

Barbara was simply filling him in on everything that was happening back on Earth. Maril wondered how long they had been talking and whether or not they had discussed her mother's death. For the first time, Maril thought about how much her father must be suffering over his loss. While her parents had separated it was only because circumstances demanded it. They still very much loved each other through the years. They both moved on with other marriages, her mother with a political marriage and her father married the other great love of his life, Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl.

Maril had become lost in her thoughts, but broke out of them when she heard the screams of children. She looked at her father and the view screen and saw her brother and sister on the screen. They were screaming their hello's to their father. They were both acting so silly Maril chuckled slightly.

Her father's superhero senses were still intact and he heard the chuckle. He looked over in her direction and back at the screen quickly. She felt guilty for spying on him and turned to leave.

"Look who's here to see you," she heard him say to the twins. "It's your big sister."

When Maril heard her father mention her she knew she had to go in to the room. She walked in with a big smile on her face and said hi to her brother and sister as she took a spot over her father's shoulder.

"Are you really going to be queen," her sister Harriet asked her.

"Yes, I am," she answered enthusiastically.

"And I have a surprise for the two of you," her father told them. "Your mother and the two of you are going to be traveling up here to see the coronation. Isn't that exciting?"

The faces of the twins beamed with excitement. They started jumping around like crazy on their mother's lap. She did her best to get them under control and they calmed down quickly.

Maril had a good laugh over their antics. It felt good to her to laugh so heartily after everything she had been through. "Do you have a dress picked out for it yet?" Harriet asked her about the coronation.

"No, the planet's best seamstresses are supposed to make something for me. Perhaps when you get up here you can help me pick out something really pretty to wear."

"Yay," Harriet yelled as she started clapping. She was obviously excited over the thought of helping Maril with her dress.

"Maril has more good news for you," her father said. Maril knew what was coming and suddenly became uncomfortable thinking the kids would know she was marrying someone because she had to. "She's going to marry the ruler of Thanagar."

This time the twins weren't excited by the news, they seemed puzzled. "Who?" James asked.

"Maril is going to have a royal wedding with the ruler of Thanagar so their two nations can be joined together. It is just like a lot of the fairy tales stories we've read to you."

Her father put a great spin on it for the twins and they instantly became excited by the prospect of their big sister's fairy tale wedding. Maril, on the other hand, was depressed. A real fairy tale wedding would have been one where she was marrying a man she knew and loved.

As she thought of her wedding an idea occurred to her that would help make it more palpable for her. "James, Harriet," she said to the screen.

"Yeah," the two of them said in unison.

"I have important roles I need the two of you to play."

"What roles?" Harriet asked.

"Well, Harriet, you can be my flower girl. And James, you can be my ring-bearer."

"What does a ring-bear do?" her brother asked.

"It's not ring-bear, it's ring-bear-ER. And you just have to carry the wedding rings down the aisle."

"Do I get a bouquet of flowers?" Harriet asked about her job.

"It's not exactly a bouquet," Maril replied. "You'll have a basket of flowers and you'll have to drop them as you walk down the aisle. Do you think you can handle that?"

"I guess," Harriet said as she let out a big yawn. James copied his sister and let out a big yawn as well.

"It looks like it's time for these two to go to bed," Maril's stepmother said.

"Sleep tight," their father said to the twins.

"Good-bye, I can't wait for the two of you to get up here," Maril added.

The screen went blank and Maril and her father stayed silent for a while. "I'm sorry if you didn't like the fact I mentioned the marriage," her father said. He seemed uncomfortable with what he said to her. "I just thought it would be better for them to learn about it early. That way Barbara will have most of their questions answered for them by the time they get here."

"It's okay that you mentioned it," Maril said to him. She knew the real reason her father was uncomfortable. She knelt down so she could easily talk to him face to face as he sat in the desk chair.

"I know this isn't the ideal way to be getting married," she told him. "I'm glad you told them for me. It's hard to think about explaining a marriage like this to someone who has expectations you should only marry for love."

Her father reached over and pushed some hair out of her face. "I know doing this must be really tough for you. I've known about the proposal for a long time. I'm sorry I never talked to you about it. It's just-"

"I'm sorry I didn't consult you at all about it," Maril confessed to him. "I kept you out of the loop and I shouldn't have done it."

"You didn't have to consult me," her father tried to tell her. "You're a grown woman and I trust you to make decisions on your own. You're twenty-two years old and you don't need me anymore. You made the right decision though. Your country needs you to do this."

Maril became emotional over her father's admittance she was now a grown woman. She was saddened thinking about how she was going to leave him and the rest of her family behind to live on Tamaran among strangers, one of them being her future husband.

She embraced her father and kissed him on the top of his head. "I'm always going to need you, Dad," she whispered to him.

"I've done my best to prepare a guest room for you," Bruce said to Diana. "I have to warn you, though; I never picked up much in the way of housekeeping from Alfred. So this place doesn't exactly have the touch of hospitality that you might remember."

Diana laughed lightly at his little dig at himself. She looked around the room he had prepared for her. In all the years she had lived at the manor she couldn't remember being in this room. It served as reminder how immense the place was.

"Thanks Bruce," she said. "I'll try and stay out of your way when we're not working. I know how uncomfortable you can get with. . ."

"I'm not that bad with having other people around the mansion anymore," he told her. "But if you want to leave me alone, there is one job our daughter wanted you to do that you could tend to."

He took a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. "She wants you to take care of the horses while she's away. She wrote down all the particulars for you to follow."

Diana took the paper Bruce handed to her and looked it over. She was shocked to see that the names of the horses were Troy and Prince. The two horses she had bought when she and Bruce had been together were named Troy and Prince.

"Are these the same Troy and Prince I bought all those years ago?" she asked Bruce.

"The same," he answered.

"I didn't think you would have kept them, or that they would still be alive."

"They are still breathing and quite healthy. And I never got rid of them in case. . .I was afraid they might have ended up in the glue factory if I sold them."

Diana caught the little pause he made. She thought he paused because he meant to say he had kept the horses around in case she came back. She looked over it as she talked with him. "I guess Helena has been taking care of them recently?"

"Yes, she always said she loved riding horses on Themyscira. It was good for her to keep that up when she came to live with me. It gave her some continuity in her life at that time."

Diana sighed as she thought about how disconnected she had been from her daughter and Bruce over the years. She talked with Helena a lot after she sent her to live with her father, although Helena never told her much. She had known living with her father was a jolt, but she was only now learning that horse riding was something that helped her cope with all the changes. The knowledge about the horses also served as a reminder that she never talked enough with Bruce.

"I should go out and see them," she said. "I wonder if they still remember me."


	14. Chapter 14: Arrival

**Chapter 14**

The landing ramp for the Javelin space cruiser opened and the travelers started making their way out of the ship. Dick and Richie were waiting to greet them. Helena was only slightly surprised to see that Maril wasn't there. She knew the girl had a lot of things to attend to and likely was not going to have a lot of time to be social over the next few days.

Dick and Richie greeted everyone. Helena stayed back as she wanted to ask the two of them some questions in private and hoped she would get the chance to do so after everyone else had been greeted. Dick spent a long time with Shayera before coming and talking to her last. "Can you give your bags to Connor to take to your room?" he asked her without really greeting her.

"Uh, yeah, sure, why do you need me to do that?" she asked.

"Maril wants me to take you to her room so she can talk to you privately," he replied.

"Oh, sure," she said. She grabbed her fiancé and made sure he grabbed her bags. Dick then announced to everyone that Richie was going to take them to their quarters. Everyone else followed him and Dick led Helena in another direction.

"So I heard your mother is watching Gotham and Bludhaven while you're away," he said.

"Yeah, she has my father to guide her through all the intricacies of the criminals in the city. I'm kind of worried about how that is going to work."

"Oh, I'm sure Bruce will last at least one night before he gets completely exasperated. He'll probably be suiting up in no time."

Helena laughed even though she wasn't sure if Dick was actually joking. He knew Bruce well and knew it was a very good possibility he would hit patrol again. "That's what I'm afraid of," she said in response to him.

As Dick led her through the halls of the palace Helena took in the unique architecture and decorations of the alien building. She had traveled here once before as a young teen with Maril and Rex. She had been fascinated by everything, but had been happy to return to the familiar surroundings of Earth after two weeks. Helena thought it was going to be tough for Maril to consider the palace home when it was so different from what she was used to on Earth. It certainly wasn't going to make having a complete stranger as a husband any easier.

The two of them reached a large and ornate door that Helena assumed was Maril's. Dick knocked on it and an unfamiliar female voice answered that they should come in. "I am never going to get used to going through servants to talk to my daughter," Dick told her as he opened the doors.

The two of them walked in to find Maril discussing her schedule with her lady in waiting. A young teen was standing off to the side. Given the high pitch of the voice that had told them to come in, Helena guessed this was the person who had spoken.

Maril's lady in waiting put her digital notepad away and told Maril she would follow up with the Thanagarian delegation. She exited the room by herself.

"Rheandr'a, you can leave me now. If I need anything I will contact you," Maril said to the teen. The teen bowed to Maril and exited the room.

"I should leave the two of you alone," Dick said as he gave his daughter a hug. "I'll be seeing that all the Leaguers are settled in, so I probably won't see you again until the morning."

"Good night, Dad," she said to him. She glanced at Helena as she embraced her father and Helena smiled back. The two of them watched her father as he left. Helena wanted to wait until he was out of earshot to begin talking, and she guessed Maril was feeling the same way.

When Dick was out of sight, Maril came over and embraced her tightly. Helena held her back just as tight. Maril rested her head on Helena's shoulder as she started whimpering and crying.

In an instant Helena realized how stupid she had been for even thinking about staying in Gotham and not coming here. Maril needed her here. There were others who could watch Gotham, but only she could comfort Maril as her best friend. Crime fighting was not the only way to help people.

"It's going to be okay," she told Maril. Like her father, Helena normally wasn't one to belt out platitudes like that, but she couldn't think of anything else comforting to say. Besides, this was one time where the words actually meant something. Maril was strong and she was going to be okay. She was going to get through her mother's death. She was going to get through her arranged marriage.

"It's so tough knowing she's gone," Maril said to her friend. Her voice didn't crack or show any signs she was too overcome by emotion. She was holding together well enough.

"I know it is," Helena replied. "I can't even imagine how much it hurts to lose her." Helena had never been so glad that at least one of her parents was immortal.

"I'm dealing with so much, I don't know if I can handle it," Maril confessed. Helena's best friend had always been seen as a little fragile; a wallflower who avoided conflict and other dangers the world threw out. Helena understood how people could see this from her outward appearance, but she also knew deep down Maril was unbelievably strong. This was one of the few times she was living up to her outward appearance.

"You are going to be fine," Helena said as she broke the embrace and moved back so she could look Maril in the eye. "I have known you your entire life, and you above all superheroes have never been hesitant to put yourself in danger, because you have empathy for others that is unmatched in the League. That is why you are going to make a great Queen. You care for your people so much and you haven't even been crowned yet. They will recognize the empathy, the feelings, and the respect you have for them. They will adore you for it. Look to them Maril, for they will give you strength."

Maril smiled at her friend as the tears stopped. "Thanks, I needed that."

After Diana made sure the two horses had enough hay to eat she started brushing their manes. They really didn't need it, but it felt good to spend some time with the two horses Bruce had gotten her so many years ago. As she brushed them she felt bad that she had completely forgotten about them over the years.

She remembered back to how surprised she had been when Bruce bought them for her. Bruce had never liked the idea of keeping pets if he didn't have time to take care of them, and taking care of horses was a lot of work. He knew how much she loved riding on Themyscira, and he wanted her to feel at home at the manor and have the ability to do all the things she loved.

While Helena had never shown much initiative in taking care of the horses on Themyscira, Troy and Prince looked to be in very good condition. "So, is my daughter taking good care of you guys?" she asked the horses.

"Yes, she takes very good care of us," a voice similar to Mr. Ed's said from the barn door.

Diana laughed at Bruce as she looked over at him. "That is the worst Mr. Ed impression I have ever heard. And how long have you been standing there?"

"I just came out here a second ago," he replied. "And I had no idea you knew who Mr. Ed was."

Diana went back to concentrating on the horse. "Whenever Alfred caught me watching a new show on television he would always stress I needed to watch the old shows if I really wanted to see the best man's world had to offer. He showed me where to find them. After Bewitched, Mr. Ed was my favorite. Diana continued brushing the mane. "I'm surprised you kept these horses."

"I didn't keep them in case you came back, if that's what you're wondering," he answered. "The horses really seemed to like it here, and I knew Helena would want to ride them one day, even if she didn't spend a lot of time here. I guess I thought the horses might help attract her here."

"How did you know she would even be interested in riding?" Diana asked.

"She always used to look out the window at you whenever you rode," he replied. "When she could talk she said she wanted to ride the horses, just like Mom."

Diana was stunned by Bruce's admittance. "I never knew that," she told him. She felt bad she never knew something like that about her daughter.

"I never told you because I thought you might actually put her on a horse's back," Bruce answered.

Diana laughed over his concern for their daughter on that account. "She could have been thrown off and into the sea and she would have been fine, even at that age. You never understood Amazonian physiology well."

Diana continued brushing the horse, but was bothered by something. "I can't believe she never told me herself she wanted to ride a horse at that age."

"I told her never to say anything to you about it."

Diana shook her head over the remark. "She always listened to you and did exactly what you said. With me, on the other hand, she always had to do the opposite of what I told her."

"You should have seen us when we patrolled together. She never listened to me all that much. Speaking of that, the sun is going down," Bruce said as he looked outside. "The criminals will be coming out soon."

"I guess I better get ready to go out," Diana said.

Diana zipped up the back of her costume and adjusted her breastplate. She was quite proud of the fact she still fit in her costume perfectly after fifty years. Over the millennia all the Amazons had learned to keep their weight constant. However, since Diana had lived in the world of mortals she became proud of being able to keep her body lean while others had trouble.

She adjusted her bracelets and tiara and then made sure her lasso was securely hooked at her waist. She exited the changing tent to find Bruce fumbling around with something in his chair in front of the Batcomputer.

"Do you have some new gadget from Wayne Industries you're trying to get to work?" she asked him.

"No, this is just our standard old spy camera," he told her. "I know you might not like it, but it's best if you wear this. I need to watch everything you do."

Diana tried to suppress a smile over Bruce's statement. He had spoken with a gruff voice that was close to his Batman voice. She found it cute he was being tough and authoritative with her. She knew it pained him to be stuck in the cave always watching someone else, but she was thankful he hadn't yet felt the need to actually try and get back out on the street.

"Give me your tiara," he commanded her.

"It's really not your style, Bruce," she said as she took it off and handed it to him. He showed no amusement over her joke.

He fitted the camera in place and handed it back to her. "Try to keep it on straight, or else I won't be able to watch everything."

She put the tiara back on and saw her view of Bruce on the screen of the Batcomputer. There were some loose hairs in the way of the lens and she pushed them away. Bruce handed her an earpiece.

"This is my own communicator," he told her. "It's a lot like the League's, but there's nothing you can do to turn off my voice."

"I could always just make sure it falls out and gets broken," she told him with a smile.

"If you do that I'll have to come out and replace it," Bruce said to her as he tried to suppress a smile.

"Good comeback," Diana replied. It was smart of him raising the specter of going out on the streets, something he would know Diana feared.

Bruce turned around in his chair and started working on the Batcomputer. "The criminals aren't exactly going to wait for you to go on patrol so you can catch them."

Diana flew out of the cave, thinking about how little Bruce had changed over the years.

Helena and Connor enjoyed a sunrise breakfast out on the balcony of their room. Maril had made sure they had servants to attend to their every need. The spread they set for the two of them was immense.

"I could get used to this," Connor said to his fiancé. Despite their wealth, neither Helena nor Connor were used to servants attending to them. Their superhero lives made hiring an army of servants a huge risk for them. For Helena, she was starting to remember what it was like to have Alfred around.

"I wouldn't mind the servants, but I could use a place with a little more privacy," Helena said to him as she looked around. Their balcony looked over a courtyard in the center of the palace. They were surrounded on all sides by the balconies of the other rooms. Helena tried to identify the balconies that had a good view of theirs.

"Still as paranoid as ever," Connor exclaimed. "I've never been able to tell, is it genetic, or is it something that was just instilled in you by your father."

Helena didn't answer him as she felt like she was being watched. The servants had told them they would leave them in peace, so it wasn't someone from the wait staff. She turned around to see who it was and immediately recognized Rheand'r, the young teen girl who had been in Maril's room the previous night.

"I am sorry to bother you during your meal, Mistress Wayne," she said as she bowed apologetically.

"I take it you have a message for me?" she asked the girl.

"It is a little more than that," she began. "Princess Maril is sorry she could not inform you earlier that the Thanagarian leader is set to arrive shortly. Secrecy was extremely important on this matter and the people who could know of the general's arrival had to be kept to a minimum. Despite this, the princess would appreciate your presence as she greets him and welcomes him to our planet. I have brought some Thanagarian clothes for you to wear and have laid them out on your bed for you."

Helena looked at Connor to tell him she would have to leave. "You can go," he told her. "I'll just have to eat all this wonderful food myself."

"Just because you don't have to put on the costume and patrol, doesn't mean you can completely let yourself go," she said to him in a joking manner. She got up and went to check out the clothes on her bed she was supposed to wear. She knew Tamaranian clothes were skimpy, but figured it couldn't be any worse than her superhero costume.

"I see the socks, but where's the rest of the outfit?" she asked Rheand'r.

"That is the outfit," Rheand'r answered. "I know it doesn't look like much, but it really stretches out."

Helena looked at the girl skeptically. "Don't worry, I'll help you put it on," Rheand'r answered.

When Diana awoke she had no idea what time it was. There was no light in the room as it was completely shut from the outside world. Over the years, Bruce had converted the manor into an impenetrable fortress. Piece by piece, walls were removed and replaced by steel plates, which were then covered up with the wall that had been removed. Every window was surrounded by blast doors which could be closed to cover them.

Bruce had undertaken the project after the Thanagarian invasion, when an assault had been made on the manor while the League was hiding out there. It was one of the few precautions he took that Diana had to admit was not due to an irrational paranoia. She always thought it was good that the League had a secret safe house like the Manor.

Bruce had told her a long time ago how to deactivate the system enough to open a single window, but she couldn't remember what it was. She knew Bruce well and knew she could use that information to figure out what the deactivation protocol would be. She knew he had set everything to be voice activated and knew she just needed the right password.

As she racked her brain it hit her. "ThomasandMartha," she said as one word. "Open the window," she added. The blast doors receded and the sunlight engulfed the room. It took a while for her eyes to adjust. When they did she walked to the window to look outside. From the position of the sun she guessed it was 3 pm. She had slept for six hours and had another seven before she would have to go out on patrol again. Her first night had been uneventful. The way Bruce and Helena had talked about what was happening in Gotham she expected a busy night. Bruce, in his normal paranoid self was convinced that the easy night she had was just the calm before the storm. He was convinced something major was going to happen soon.

Diana went and pulled her video communicator out of her bag. She wondered if Helena would be free and thought about calling her. She wanted her opinion on what was going on in Gotham, but realized it would likely be little different from her father's. As much as she would have liked to speak with her daughter she felt the girl had better things to do and didn't want to trouble her with what was happening back on Earth.

"You could have told me we were short on time from the very beginning," Helena said to Rheand'r as she admonished the girl. "If I had known what the time frame was I would have moved a little faster."

"If you had been able to get dressed at a decent pace, we wouldn't be short on time," Rheand'r fired back. She was trying to lead Helena through the halls to the landing platform where General Warhawk was expected. They moved slowly as Helena had to keep stopping to adjust her tight fitting outfit. Rheand'r wondered how the young woman made it as a superhero when she supposedly wore a similar outfit as her superhero costume.

The two of them made it to the platform and they were both relieved to see the General had not arrived yet. Rheand'r stayed back as Helena made her way through the royal guards that surrounded Maril. She took her place by Maril's side.

Maril took a quick glance at her and then focused back on the sky as she was expecting her future husband to come at any time. "Nice of you to show up," she said lightheartedly. Helena glanced at her and could see Maril suppressing a smile. She looked over her friend's outfit and noticed she was wearing a very elegant dress that fully covered her. As Helena glanced around she saw was easily the most scantily dressed there.

"Thanks for the outfit," Helena said to Maril. "I thought there would have been a little more to Tamaranean formal wear, though."

"There normally is," Maril answered. "What you're wearing is something experimental a designer here has been working with. It hasn't exactly caught on."

Helena could see Maril was trying hard not to laugh. "Couldn't resist playing a little practical joke on me, could you?"

"Consider this my revenge for the time you let me spar with Artemis and told me she would go easy on me," Maril replied.

"This really wasn't smart Maril," Helena replied. "I get to choose what you wear for my wedding, remember."

Maril didn't get a chance to reply as Warhawk's shuttle appeared in the sky. It flew to the edge of the platform and extended its landing ramp. The doors opened to reveal a cadre of Thanagarian guards. They descended to the landing ramp and were followed by a man meeting the description Helena had heard of Warhawk.

Helena was unable to blink as Warhawk descended the ramp and she got a full look at him. She was surprised his face was covered completely by armor. It made her wonder what he was hiding. While the armor covered a good portion of the rest of his body, Helena was able to make out a number of things about him. He appeared young; she knew that it must be a relief for Maril he was close to her in age. He was also massive and strong. He also moved with no hints of permanent injuries. Helena smirked a little over the thought there were worse things than marrying a huge, muscular hunk of a man.

Helena took a quick glance over at Maril as Warhawk walked up to her. Maril was still and unfazed by him. She curtsied before him, as custom demanded. "I welcome you to Tamaran," she said softly as she had to look up at him.

"As an emissary of the Gordanian territory of Thanagar, I am pleased to accept your greeting," Warhawk said. His voice was extremely deep. Helena had spent a decade hearing her father disguise his voice and she knew he was doing the exact same thing. Once again, she wondered what he had to hide.

"I am glad to hear that," Maril replied. "I have had my staff working overtime to prepare for your stay." She glanced back at the servants that had lined up behind her and Helena. "There will be servants posted in your quarters to attend to any needs you had. A member of my staff will be by to inform you on when we will be meeting to attend to business."

When Maril referred to the servants Helena saw Warhawk cock his head and look in their direction. He didn't stare long as his eyes eventually fell on Helena. "Who is this?" he said in his deep voice as he looked at her.

Mari looked at Helena and blushed. "This is Helena Wayne, my closest friend form Earth. She will be advising me in these next few days. I thought you should get to meet her right away."

Warhawk quickly cocked his head away from Helena and back at Maril. "Would you command one of your servants to show my staff and me to our quarters?"

"As you wish," she said. She looked back at one of the servants and cocked her head in his direction. The young woman ran up and bowed to him.

"I will be happy to lead you to your quarters," she said with a smile. Warhawk started following her, and his staff started pouring out of the transport. Helena watched as they followed and disappeared into the palace.

Diana walked out of the changing tent as she adjusted the tiara in her hair. Even though she didn't exactly have anything Bruce hadn't seen before, she still protected her modesty in the tent. It just seemed like the appropriate thing to do, given their situation.

Bruce was at the Batcomputer looking through the police files. Commissioner Gordon had let him hook up the Batcomputer to the police network a long time ago. It was a one way connection, of course. Bruce could see anything on their computers. The connection saved Bruce and Gordon the trouble of having to set up clandestine meetings to exchange information. They had secret folders for depositing encrypted files that allowed them to communicate.

Commissioner Essen-Gordon kept her husband's protocols in place and transferred sensitive information to Batman through the link-up. From what Diana saw on the screen Bruce was going through some very sensitive information right now.

"Anything good on there?" she asked him.

"Just one thing," he said in his gruffy Batman tone. "An anonymous phone call was made that said the Dopple Gang is up to something big."

Diana snickered at the name Bruce said. "The Dopple Gang? There is a group out there which actually wanted to be called that?"

"They call themselves that because it fits their idiom. They dress and act like the old villains; Joker, Riddler, Catwoman. They are actually a very minor gang, little more then fanboys and fangirls. They've been around quite a while. They started out as a group of young kids who wanted to do little more than copy their favorite super villains. Of course, they had a rather simplistic view of what their "heroes" were like. The originals never did more than carry out pranks and petty crimes. They were jokes to everyone except to the aging super villains who didn't like the idea the members of that gang would be their legacy. They had some run-ins with the Joker and the Riddler in particular. I saved them and convinced most of them to give the gang up, but the idea of the Dopple Gang wouldn't die. The second version of the gang cropped up around the time Helena became Robin. They were much more than fanboys. At that time most of the super villains were out of Arkham and retired, although it wasn't known for certain that they had all given up the villainy permanently. The second DoppleGang operated by selling their services to gangs that wanted to throw the police off their scent. They would make it look like one of the old super villains had committed the crimes of the gang or criminal that had hired them. Helena and I found a way to shut them down and disband them.

The group that the goes by Dopple Gang now is much more like the first one. The primary crime they commit is loitering, but every once in a while they will try and pull an elaborate prank to remind people of what the super villains of old were like. Helena has never considered them much more than an annoyance, but I always got the hint they were willing to take their crimes further if the right opportunity presented itself."

"And you think they are actually up to something right now?"Diana asked.

"They could be. I have been expecting something big to go down for a while. If someone was planning something they would be a good group to bring into the fold as each member has delusions of grandeur. They would be easy dupes for someone looking to pull something."

"So do you know where to find them?" Diana asked.

"They have a warehouse in the tech district," Bruce answered.

"I didn't know there were any abandoned warehouses there."

"They didn't exactly take over an abandoned one. The father of their Penguin is a computer mogul. He gave them the warehouse so they would have someplace to hang out that was away from any real centers of crime."

"Sounds smart, can you give me directions as I fly there?" Diana flew out of the Batcave before she got a reply. She hadn't asked Bruce a question, she had given him a command.


	15. Chapter 15: Discovery

**Chapter 15**

Helena stood behind Maril as the girl said her vows. She talked of her duty as a royal and how the marriage would strengthen their respective nations. There was no talk of love or what their relationship would be like. When her vows were done the bishop proclaimed them man and wife and told the groom he could now kiss the bride. The Thanagarian general was still wearing the hood of armor, but he pushed a button on his belt and the plates pulled back. His face was revealed and Helena nearly fainted as she saw Warhawk was really Rex. Maril started shedding tears of joy as the entire congregation started talking. The people in the nearest pews began relaying the news Rex was alive.

As Maril slowly walked towards Rex the life began to disappear from his face. He aged quickly and his skin turned to dust. The dust blew away leaving just a skull.

Maril screamed over the sight and Helena woke up with a startle. As she wiped the sleep from her eyes she realized she had been dreaming. She looked around her to see the guest room she was in illuminated by the moonlight that entered through the glass doors that led out to the balcony.

She looked over at Connor to find he was still asleep. He was snoring softly, which she usually found annoying, but tonight sounded sweet to her ears. Dreaming about Rex and how Maril didn't have him made her appreciate the fact she had Connor.

She thought about how unique it was for them to be spending so much time together. This was the first time in forever they had spent two consecutive nights together. In just two days she felt like their relationship was being invigorated.

The diamond on her engagement ring sparkled in the moonlight and she stared at it. She was reminded of the commitment she was supposed to make to Connor. She was also reminded of how she was doing him wrong by dragging her feet by not setting a date for the marriage.

Helena felt hot and pushed the covers off her. For a moment the air that hit her naked body felt hot. She soon realized the problem was the entire room was hot. Tamaran was a tropical planet and the temperature of their buildings was always adjusted to match that.

She figured the night air would be cool and walked to the doors to step outside. She paused when she reached the doors as she was hesitant to step out naked, but then realized it was late and no one else would be awake to see her. She looked back at Connor, who was still sound asleep and then flung the doors opened and stepped outside.

A light breeze hit her and she was immediately relieved by the coolness of it. She walked to the edge of the balcony and looked up at the night sky. She remembered back to her first trip here and how every night Maril would point out Earth to her. Helena had to think deeply about where it was, but soon found it. It was nice and bright.

She wondered what was happening back home with her parents. If she remembered correctly, it would be the middle of the night in Gotham as well. Her mother would be out on patrol and her father would be telling her what to do like a back-seat driver. She couldn't imagine her mother taking too kindly to all the commands her father would give her.

As she looked up at the stars she felt some light raindrops on her face. She thought about running back inside, but the light drizzle actually felt good. The rain picked up a little and started wetting her hair. Helena stayed out as she knew the rain on Tamaran seldom got heavy. It never did much more then drizzle on the planet.

Helena shifted her focus to the other balconies overlooking the courtyard. Most of the League was in rooms around theirs. General Warhawk was in a room around here as well. Rheand'r had pointed it out to her earlier. She remembered the location of it relative to hers and found it. She noticed the door from the balcony to the room was open.

As she looked at the open door she started thinking about how little they knew about him. He was likely sleeping in there. She had the chance to rummage through his room and find out something about the man.

Helena ran back into her room and threw on a robe. She grabbed her crossbow from her bag along with her mask. She put the mask on as she walked back out onto her balcony.

She thought of a grappling hook arrow and one immediately appeared in the bow. She fired it across the courtyard and it wrapped around the ledge of Warhawk's balcony. She detached the arrow and wrapped the other end around her ledge. She then walked across the line like a tight rope and jumped onto his balcony.

She carefully walked across the balcony without making a sound. She activated the night vision on her mask and looked inside the room. She could see someone in bed at the other end of the room. They weren't moving and she guessed they were asleep.

She crept into the room and looked around. The general didn't look to have any bags or belongings near the door, so she scanned the other end by the bed. She saw his bags against the wall opposite his bed. She quietly walked over to them, keeping an eye on Warhawk.

Just as she leaned over a bag, a light turned on behind her. Helena tensed up as she thought about what to do. Normally, she never did anything without careful plans for every contingency, but she had been so anxious to inspect him she didn't think about what to do if she was caught snooping. She cursed under her breath as she realized her hesitation had helped trap her. She couldn't just leave when Warhawk had gotten a good look at who she was. She couldn't attack him as that would cause a host of problems. She stood facing away from him, waiting for him to make the first move.

"Looks like your detective instincts got the better of you, Helena," Warhawk said. Helena was initially shocked he would know her name. However, his voice had an air of familiarity to it. As she racked her brain for where she might have heard it the answer popped in her head. The voice was that of Rex. It was impossible, but there was no mistaking the similarity.

Helena turned around to confirm if it was really Rex. She had forgotten to turn off her night vision and she was blinded by the light he had turned on. She held a hand up to her eyes and closed them hard. She kept them closed so they would have a second to heal. She heard Warhawk get out of bed and walk over to her. She felt his hands on the sides of her helmet and she offered no resistance as he took the mask off. Helena opened her eyes and blinked a couple times. She looked up at Warhawk and saw Rex Stewart holding her mask and inspecting it. She was in such shock over the sight she was unable to move or speak.

"An Amazonian helmet with a modern night vision system," Rex said as he looked over the mask. "Your parents must have made this together. I guess they made up, or at least learned to speak and spend time together."

"Uh huh," Helena answered still stunned by what she was looking at. She stood up so she could look at him. He was shirtless, wearing nothing other than a pair of shorts. His wings were missing, that was the first thing that jumped out at her. Helena looked him over from top to bottom, he looked taller and more muscular then she had remembered. His body was covered with scars; some appeared to be blaster hits, others looked to be slashes made by a knife or whip. From his body, it was obvious he had seen a lot of action.

He looked and sounded like Rex, but Helena still had trouble believing it could actually be him. Thinking like a detective, she needed to take a closer look and inspect him.

"Hold still," she said as she placed her left hand on his shoulder. Helena was a bit shocked when her hand touched solid skin. She expected Rex to be revealed as nothing more than an apparition of her mind. He was real though, his Thanagarian skin felt warm to her touch. He stayed in place as Helena walked around him so she could get a look at his back. She gasped as she saw the two large lateral scars that occupied the space where his wings had been. She was shocked to find them even though she should have guessed they were there. She ran a hand along each of them to feel the raised and scarred skin. The wounds were bumpy, but the skin itself was nice and smooth.

"That must have hurt like hell," she said as she continued inspecting them.

"When they cut off my wings they thought it would kill me, but a fellow prisoner saved me and helped me escape. It was a while before I found out my wings had been sent to you as proof of my death." Rex had spent years wondering what the reaction of everyone was to his death. He always wondered how quickly his friends and family accepted the story the Thanagarians had given them. He always wondered about Maril, whether or not she had doubts about his death. The two of them had such a strong connection. She had to have felt he wasn't dead.

"Those bastards," she yelled. "I can't believe we just took their word for your death."

Rex found it strange she was talking about him like he wasn't there. He thought this must having something to do with the shock of still finding out he was alive.

"I want to kill them! Kill them all!" Rex could hear the uncontrollable anger in her voice. He didn't want to concentrate too much on what the Gordanians did, he was anxious to finally know how the people he loved back home reacted to his death.

Helena moved her gaze from the large, lateral scars to the rest of the smaller ones that dotted his body. She scanned over all the ones on his back then walked around to see the ones on the front of his torso. When she looked up at him Rex wasn't surprised to see a look of strength and determination on her face.

She ran her hand along the scar that ran along the side of his face. Rex stood perfectly still as she did so. "What happened to you?" she asked. There was a hint of sadness in her voice, but Rex detected her overall emotions were well in check. As Batman's daughter she didn't exactly wear her emotions on her sleeve. "Why didn't you let us know you were alive?" she added.

Rex looked down in shame over how he had stayed silent all these years. Now, every reason he had for staying quiet seemed stupid. "I. . .I never thought I would live that long. Even after I escaped, I was in the resistance and, I had to fight." He looked back up at Helena so he could look her in the eyes as he talked. He wanted her to see the sincerity in her eyes.

"The entire time I was fighting I thought I never had more than a few weeks to live. I was always afraid we would be discovered and attacked. I really believed I would not live to see victory. I didn't want all of you to have to go through my death twice."

Helena stayed stoic and emotionless the entire time he talked. "And what about when you had your victory. Why didn't you contact us then?"

Helena sounded like his mother scolding him. She made him feel ashamed about his silence. He couldn't look at her as he talked. "The war changed me. I did things none of you would approve of me doing. I'm not the boy who left you guys five years ago. I had no idea how you guys would accept me."

"I can understand," Helena said as Rex saw tears start to form in her eyes. He was shocked upon seeing them. Helena was always the emotionless and stoic one of the group. "My father often told me he was scared of what his parents would think of his career as Batman. He believed there was a darkness to him his parents could never accept. I can see why you stayed silent, but unless you've turned into an outright super villain, everyone is going to be too happy to see you alive to care about what you had to do to free Thanagar. Your mother has spent every day in agony since she was told you were dead. Your father has almost become a recluse and seldom leaves his apartment. And Maril-" Helena got choked up as she started thinking about her best friend. "Maril has been holding a candle for you all these years. She still loves you and has been haunted by your. . .by thinking you were dead."

The tears were really streaming from Helena's cheeks and she had to wipe them away with her free hand. Helena had always been the strong one among their group, but she now looked like she could use some comforting. Rex embraced her and she rested her head on Rex's bare shoulder as she cried.

"You've grown a bit," she said with her voice choking.

"Almost four inches after I escaped from the camp."

"No wonder we couldn't recognize you," Helena said. "But you're alive now, and you and Maril are going to be married," she whispered.

Helena leaned back so she could look him in the eye. "I know I said this before, but Maril loves you just as much as before. She agreed to the marriage because she knew she could never love anyone like she loved you. She wasn't sad over having to enter what she thought would be a loveless marriage because she thought she had lost out on love when you died. When she was told you died, she didn't believe it. Even when she saw your bloodied wings, she didn't believe you were dead."

Rex could tell Helena's tears were turning from tears of joy to those of sadness. "She felt you. . .she knew you were still alive. It's all my fault. I told her to accept the facts. She had to accept you were dead. I should have believed in her feelings. We should have gone to Thanagar and smashed everything until we found you."

"It's okay Helena. You did the right thing."

Helena moved away from Rex as she wanted to lead him away. "You have to go and tell her now. And your mother, she's here too. They need to be told immediately. They need to know you're alive now."

Helena started to move, but Rex wouldn't let go. "I can't do that yet," he said to her.

"Why, what's stopping you?"

Rex knew he didn't have a good answer for her. He knew Helena wasn't the kind of person to accept vague answers, either. "I'm afraid of what they're think of what I've done; of how I've hurt them by staying silent for so long."

The tears disappeared from Helena's face in an instant and a look of anger replaced the look of sadness. "Dammit Rex, they all love you. They will all forgive you for whatever you've done. They've been in agony since they thought you died. Every day you wait to tell them you just cause them more agony."

"And I can't stand to see their faces when they realize how much unnecessary agony I have caused them," Rex replied. His tone was anger, but his face showed the sadness he was feeling at the moment. "As for what happens when they find out what I've done, they may not scream at me and force me out of their lives, but they will think differently of me."

Helena was incredulous over what he was saying. "You're being ridiculous," she screamed at him. She had no idea what else to say.

"I know your father and what he believes," he yelled back at her. "I know how he despises the very idea of killing anyone. I know if you were to do so he would forgive you for it, but he would always think of you differently. You know this would happen and it would hurt you for your father to know you broke one of his cardinal rules."

Helena knew Rex was right about what he said. Her father loved her too much to ostracize her for killing, as long as she was not going to do it again. However, she knew the rest of their lives her father would see her differently and have a certain mistrust of her. Rex had chosen the perfect example for making her understand how he must feel.

"Okay, if you want to wait forever to tell the rest of your friends and family, go ahead. I won't interfere. I'll keep your secret."

"Thank you," he replied, relieved.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them. "I should be going," she said as she grabbed her helmet out of Rex's hand. "Would you mind escorting me out," she said to him.

Helena walked out to the balcony and Rex followed her. As she walked she thought that she should get the last word in their conversation. "You realize you are getting married to Maril within the next two days," she said to him as she turned back around to face him. "She is going to find out within a short time."

"I need to wait until after the wedding," he pleaded. "This marriage is too important for my nation. I can't risk Maril freaking out and delaying it."

Helena wanted to scream at him Maril would do no such thing, but knew it was pointless. Rex was fearful and nothing would change his mind. She merely shook her head to convey her displeasure.

"I will keep your secret, but I wish you would reveal yourselves to those who love you," she told him. She walked to the balcony without saying anything to him and he said nothing to her. She walked across the rope that was still present. When she reached the ledge for her room the rope disappeared behind her. She picked up her crossbow and went inside her room, making sure the door was closed behind her.

Helena removed her robe and slipped under the covers. She cuddled up against Connor. The feeling of his skin against hers sent a surge through her body. She rubbed her face against his and enjoyed the feeling of his facial hair as it brushed her skin. He began to stir and she kissed him to bring him out of his slumber.

"What time is it?" he asked in a groggy voice.

"It's still the middle of the night," she whispered to him.

"You want to do it, or something?"

"I wanted to tell you something," she said as she ran her hand along his shoulder and neck. She kissed him again.

"You're acting like you want to have sex," he said. His voice sounded more alert.

"I'm just trying to let you know I love you," she answered. "I woke you because I wanted you to know I think we should get married the last week of July."

Connor bolted up, fully awake now. "Are you serious?" he asked her.

"Yes," she answered simply.

"What made you want to set a date?" he asked.

Helena knew she couldn't tell Connor the truth about Rex and how that made her realize the mistake she was making. Luckily, a lie came quick to her. "I woke up and was thinking about Maril's marriage. It made me realize I was being foolish by dragging my feet so much."

Helena could see the elation on Connor's face as he moved in and kissed her. "I don't care if you want it or not, you're getting sex," he said.

Helena laughed heartily as he started kissing her neck and worked his way down to her chest.

Rex watched Helena as she left his room, thinking about everything she had said. She made it sound like revealing himself to Maril would be easy and painless, but he knew better. He went back to bed and tried to get some sleep, but couldn't get his loved ones out of his mind.

He remembered back to the first trip he had taken to this planet when Maril had been allowed by her mother to bring along him and Helena. One night in particular the kids were allowed to stay up late. Maril's uncle, Ryand'r took them out in a speeder and allowed them to observe the night life from above. Rex remembered that night well. His relationship with Maril was just beginning. When the kids went out in the spinner Helena sat shotgun and he sat in the back with Maril. Her uncle drove them around and pointed out spots of the city to them, although Helena was the only one of the three who really saw anything. Rex and Maril sat in the backseat cuddling and kissing. From time to time they glanced at Maril's uncle and Helena in the front seat. The two of them were completely oblivious to what Rex and Maril were doing in the back seat.

When Ryand'r brought them back to the palace Maril took them to the top of the tallest spire so they could have a clear view of the night sky. She pointed out Earth to them. Helena was transfixed by seeing the Sun from afar. As she was staring at Earth Maril pointed out Thanagar to Rex. As she was pointing it out, she stood behind him. She kissed him on the neck and then whispered in his ear.

"Everyone except the three of us is asleep," she began. "After we drop Helena off at her room, we can go to mine, together." Maril let out a loud yawn and said she was tired. Helena agreed that it was time to turn in and they all headed into the palace. Maril and Rex dropped Helena off at her room and then they headed to Maril's room together.

The two of them made love for the very first time that night. The connection he felt with Maril that night was unbelievable. He knew that night Maril was the girl he was going to marry. The two of them stayed awake talking until the sun came up. As the first rays of light came through the window Maril told him he was going to have to go back to his room. He told her he didn't want to leave; he didn't care if they got caught. He loved her and didn't care what anyone else thought of their relationship. She protested, but he wouldn't budge. Finally, she had to push him out of bed. She was quite unapologetic as he hit the floor, but she knew it wouldn't hurt him of course.

Rex thought about how things had been so carefree back then. He thought about how much he had changed since then. He had no idea whether or not Maril would still love him anymore. It was strange to think their childhood dream was coming true in that they were going to be married, even though they may no longer love each other. Helena had told him otherwise, but that was because Maril still saw him as the boy he was five years ago, not the thing he was now, whatever he was.


	16. Chapter 16: Coronation

**Chapter 16**

Diana flew to the address Bruce had given her and immediately understood what he meant about an upper-class abandoned warehouse. The area she was hovering over was the home of the high-tech industries in Gotham. A lot of the warehouses were old, but had been renovated when the internet entrepreneurs moved in to them.

The hide-out of the DoppleGang was in the center of the district and looked no different from any of the other warehouses around it. From high up Diana couldn't tell if there was anyone in there. She lowered herself down to street level and immediately heard the death metal coming from inside the warehouse.

Bruce had told her all she needed to do was walk through the front door and no one would give her any trouble. Since the gang never did any real criminal activity, talking to a superhero like they were real super criminals was the highlight of their lives. Diana had to admit she found their behavior just as strange as any sadistic super villain.

"Are you going to go in?" she heard Bruce's voice ask her in her ear. She was so surprised by it she actually jumped a little. She had forgotten Bruce was watching everything she was doing on camera. She was annoyed he was bothering her for such a little infraction as taking too much time to do something.

"Going in right now," she told him as she walked up to the door. She turned the knob and was surprised to find it unlocked. She was a bit apprehensive about going in, not because she was afraid they would do anything to harm her, but because one of the fanboys might do something stupid that would harm their friends.

Diana flung the door open and took a few steps inside. She was met with one of the most surreal sights she had ever seen. The warehouse looked like a teen hangout with its large screen television that took up one whole wall of the warehouse and its sound speakers hung all over the place. What separated it from the normal teen hangout was the poster and memorabilia dedicated to the Gotham super villains of old.

The gang themselves was an odd assortment of characters. Everyone looked up at Diana the moment she entered, so she got a good look at everyone's faces. Closest to her was a table where four members of the gang were playing poker. She recognized Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, Two-Face, and Black Mask. Each of the four had a particular oddity to them. Poison Ivy looked like a drag queen, Croc was a bald and shirtless man with scales painted onto his smoothly shaven skin. Black Mask was nothing more than a kid in a suit wearing a black skeleton Halloween mask. Two-Face actually looked real, maybe a little too real. Diana couldn't help but think he might have actually used acid to burn his face to look like his idol.

Diana heard the music getting quiet and turned to see the Joker sitting in an armchair, pointing a remote at the stereo. He was wearing a garish purple suit. His hair was colored a pastel green and his make-up made him look more like a clown then the Joker of old she had encountered several times before. The one big oddity she noticed about him was he appeared to have a mustache underneath all the make-up. She was surprised he wouldn't have shaved it off for his costume.

Sitting on his lap was a Harley Quinn that looked remarkably like the one of old. Of course, in the make-up and full body costume anyone could look a lot like the old Harley. Still, Diana wondered if she was another one of the original's children.

The Riddler and Penguin had been playing a video game when Diana entered. It was paused now and the two of them were sizing up Diana. The Riddler was wearing a unitard with a question mark on it while Penguin had on a tux and a black top hat. The two of them looked the most authentic, although, they also had the easiest task.

The biggest omission seemed to be Catwoman. Diana wondered if there was no Catwoman become so few woman would have wanted to hang out with these guys. She was about to ask Bruce if there was a Catwoman in the gang when she heard a voice above her.

"Meow," it said to her. Diana looked up to see Catwoman crawling along a low hanging pipe that ran the length of the warehouse. Diana was shocked by the fact that Catwoman was an absolutely stunning beauty. She was wearing a form-fitting lycra outfit that showed off her curves. She wore no mask, putting her beautiful face on display for the whole world to see.

"I thought the Huntress was supposed to come over and play," she said in her sultry voice. "Instead, we get this spare."

"They were expecting me," she whispered in the hopes Bruce would hear. She had no idea how powerful the mic was he had given her. "At least, they were expecting someone," she added.

"Have no fear, I'll stop her," a man's voice shouted from above Catwoman. Diana looked up to see someone in a Bat costume on a catwalk near the ceiling. He was obviously Man-bat. He spread his wings and Diana feared he was about to jump.

"Stay still, he'll be okay," Bruce told her. "Look down," he instructed her. Diana did as she was told and found a pile of mattresses on the floor underneath the man.

"I need you to stay calm and focused," Bruce said. "Don't get distracted by the craziness around you. Some complex plan is being carried out by this gang and we need to find out what it is."

The man in the Bat costume landed on the mattress pile unharmed. "Dammit," the Joker exclaimed. "Who moved the mattresses back there after I tried to throw them away?"

Diana wasn't sure if the Joker was telling the truth or was just trying to do something to act like the Joker of old. "He's the leader and spokesman of the group," she heard Bruce say. "Speak with him."

Diana slowly walked up to the Joker. As she neared him and got a better look at him, she was surprised by how old he looked. "Be blunt with him, cut right to the chase," Bruce told her.

"It looks like you were expecting Huntress to come and speak with you," Diana looked back at Catwoman, who was now hanging upside down from the pipe. "Why did you think someone was going to come by to speak with you?"

The Joker seemed worried by what she was asking. The fact he did not get the superhero he was expecting must have thrown him off track. "We're nasty super villains," he said with a snarl. "Heroes are always coming by to see what we're up to."

The Joker didn't convince anyone with his words. Harley was trying her best to keep from laughing at him. "From your activity the last couple weeks it looks like you were trying to send Huntress a message." Wonder Woman spoke on her own without waiting for Bruce to feed her anything.

"Twist the knife, as if there is a message you can give Huntress," Bruce told her. He seemed pleased with the tact she was taking.

"Is there is a message you want me to deliver to Huntress?" she asked. "She is going to be gone for a while, but I'm sure I will remember to give it to her whenever she gets back."

The Joker's face turned an even lighter shade of white. He was obviously worried about hearing the news Diana had delivered to him. She wondered why Helena was so important to whatever they had planned.

"There's no message," he said nervously.

"Don't worry about bothering with them anymore," Bruce said. "We got as much out of them as we are going to."

Diana was skeptical about what Bruce said, but felt like she should put her trust in him and do what he suggested. "Well, if any of you ever want to talk with me, just rob a place and wait for me to show up." She looked around at all of them to see if anyone had something to add, but they all stayed silent. Diana left the way she came in and flew back to the Batcave.

Helena walked briskly through the halls of the palace. Rheandr'a walked behind her. The teen had trouble keeping up with Helena as her tight dress made it difficult for her to walk.

Helena was wearing a formal Amazonian toga and felt great having some actual freedom of movement. "There is still time to change into something more formal," Rheandr'a said as she walked behind her.

"In my culture this is formalwear," she answered. Helena was trying to find her way to the great hall and was having difficulty doing it. Rheandr'a wasn't going to show her the way until she had put on the right clothes, so Helena had to find the right place from her limited memory of her time at the palace ten years earlier.

Helena had to stop for a moment and get her bearings. Rheandr'a took the chance to get in front of her and plead her case. "Since you're on Tamaran and doing Tamaranean business, it just seems fitting you should wear Tamaranean clothes."

Helena suddenly remembered the proper way to go and started walking briskly again in that direction. Rheandr'a followed her, but gave up trying to convince her to do anything. Helena reached the Great Hall to find Maril and Shayera overseeing the decorations and arrangements.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Rheandr'a pleaded with her future queen. "I tried to tell Madame Wayne she needed to wear formal Tamaranean clothes, but she wouldn't listen to me."

A broad smile came across Maril's lips as she looked at Helena. When Maril looked over at Rheandr'a her smile disappeared as she realized she should look like a serious queen for her subjects. "Do not feel responsible for this one's misbehavior, she never obeys orders. I will make sure she pays the proper price. You may leave us."

The teen bowed to Maril before she walked out of the Great Hall. "You really are catching on to this whole 'royalty' thing," Helena said to her.

"Is it because I had a little fun at your expense?" Maril asked.

"It's the thing with having people call you 'Your Highness' and refusing to show emotion around others."

Maril appeared stung by what Helena had said to her. Helena realized what she said was kind of harsh and was going to apologize, but Maril started talking. "I don't like it, but I do have certain protocols I have to follow. I have to live up to the office of Queen, I've been told. Being some higher-up everyone treats differently is not something I'm used to." She paused as she looked around at all the decorations that were in the Hall for her upcoming wedding. "Still, having to act stiff and distant isn't exactly the worst thing about being queen."

It took every speck of self-control Helena had to avoid telling them Rex was alive and was the emperor that Maril was going to be marrying. She knew both Maril and Rex's mother would be overjoyed at the news. She knew the nightmare they had been living ever since they were told Rex was dead would be over. Helena remembered Rex's wishes, though, and knew he should be the one to tell his loved ones he was alive.

"You okay?" Maril asked her.

"Of course," she replied.

"You looked angry about something," Maril added.

"It's nothing," Helena answered. "So, are we going stand around or are we going to prepare for your wedding and coronation?"

"Ugh, there's so much to do, I don't know where to begin," Maril told the other two women as she looked around the hall.

"Why don't the two of you head outside and make sure everything is to your liking for the coronation, Maril," Shayera said to the girl. "I can handle things here for a while."

Maril looked suspiciously at the older woman for a moment. She took a look around the Great Hall again and smiled. "It will be good for me to put this out of my mind for a while." She lifted off and floated above Helena and Shayera. "Why don't you join me outside, Helena?" Maril flew out the nearest window and headed in the direction of the reflecting pool where her coronation was to take place.

"You sure you're going to be okay here?" Helena asked Hawkgirl.

"There isn't too much left to oversee," she replied. "Maril just needs me to make sure all the important Thanagarian traditions are followed."

Helena hadn't asked if she would be okay because she was worried about Shayera's workload. She knew it had to hurt Hawkgirl to be planning a Thanagarian wedding for the girl who was supposed to marry her son. Once again Helena wanted to tell the truth that Rex was alive. She refrained from doing so not so much to keep her promise to Rex, but because she was afraid the woman wouldn't be able to take the shock. Shayera always told people she had practically died the day she was told Rex was dead. Finding she had been lied to might be a shock she would not be able to handle.

"You can go," Shayera said to the girl. "I'll be fine here. I won't break down crying uncontrollably."

Helena smirked at the woman's answer. "So you figured out what I was really asking?"

"I know how you and Maril think about me," she said. "You think I've been fragile ever since Rex died; one bad day from breaking down completely and unable to go on living."

Helena felt horrible over Shayera's description of how she was seen. She wasn't completely off-base, which was what made Helena feel so bad.

"Don't feel bad for viewing me that way," Shayera admitted with a sigh. "There have been days, even recently, where I've wondered if I would actually be able to get through the day. I knew of Rex before he was ever born. I don't know if your father ever told you about the trip he took to the future with John. They were following a time traveler and ended up in a future where Rex was Hawkman."

"My father told me about that adventure," she informed the woman. "He told me that almost nothing they saw came to pass."

Shayera smiled awkwardly. "John pointed that out to me as well. Rex was the one exception. John would never tell me anything about him, but your father did. I spent years imagining what he would really be like. As he grew up he fulfilled every dream I ever had about him. He was exactly what Bruce had said he was going to be. The knowledge Rex existed in the future made me complacent, though. Even though little of the future Bruce and John saw came to pass, I believed that Rex couldn't die if he had been alive and a superhero in the future. That is what I was thinking when I let him go to Thanagar. I fooled myself into believing no harm could come to him and he paid the price for it."

Helena could tell Shayera was obviously in a lot of pain. While she knew she could end all the pain the woman was feeling in an instant by telling her Rex was still alive, she stayed silent. She hated herself for it, but knew she had to do it. It caused her to feel pain to think she was failing to relieve Shayera of hers.

"I really let my guard down when Rex left for Thanagar," she said as she looked around at the decorated hall. "He got engaged to Maril and I started thinking about what his wedding would be like. I had started imagining how we might be able to blend Tamaranean and Thanagarian traditions for the ceremony." She let out a heavy sigh. "At least my work is getting put to some good use here. Although, it's hard to enjoy it. I want to be happy for Maril, but it's tough to do when I think that she is going to be in a loveless political marriage."

Tears started forming in Helena's eyes. They weren't tears of sadness, though. They were tears of joy as she thought about how Shayera and Maril would both be ecstatic to find Rex alive.

"I think you should really try and enjoy this," Helena said to the older woman in a soft voice.

"Why do you say that?" Shayera asked.

"I don't know. I just have a feeling that one day you are going to look back on this and be glad you put your heart into it."

"Okay," Shayera said with a skeptical look on her face.

Helena was afraid Shayera might start asking her questions about why she thought the woman needed to embrace the wedding. "I should go, Maril is probably waiting for me," she said in order to leave.

The wind swept through Diana's hair as she rode Troy around the manor. She could tell the horse was enjoying the ride as well. Despite his age he could gallop just as fast as any horse half his age.

After an hour of riding, Diana steered him back to the barn and walked him to his stable. As she did so, Prince neighed loudly, indicating he wanted attention. "Relax, Prince, I'll ride you once I have Troy safely in his stable."

"The horse might have to wait on that," Bruce said. Diana was startled by his voice and shocked she hadn't heard him approach. He apparently still had the stealth technique in his old age.

"Why is that?" she asked as she closed Troy's gate.

"We need to go over your conversation with the DoppleGang last night a little more."

"I thought we discussed everything there was to discuss last night." She was standing in front of him with her arms crossed. She thought he was being ridiculous and she tried to tell him with her body language.

"I've thought of some more details I want to go over. I have the videos queued up on the Batcomputer."

Diana sighed and rolled her eyes. Bruce was always obsessive, but she worried now in retirement he was getting so restless that he was inventing reasons why he always needed to be in the Batcave, or on the computer working an investigation. It was infuriating and it reminded her of why she had left him.

"What more is there to go over? The Joker was obviously thrown off the script he had written for himself by the fact that I showed up instead of Helena. Whatever he was supposed to tell her, he was unwilling to tell me."

"I think he was thrown off so much because he had been fed lines to say by someone else. He clammed up because he wanted to check with someone what he was supposed to do. I found an instant in the video from last night where he glances past you to someone. I need you to look at the direction of his gaze and tell me who in the area he might be looking to for help."

"You're impossible Bruce," she yelled as she walked over to Prince's stable. She just mounted him without bothering to put a harness or saddle on him. She had him trot out and stand next to Bruce so she could talk to him.

"I'm sure the DoppleGang will be at their hangout again tonight. If they are consulting with anyone they will have talked to them and will have something to say tonight. Until then find some good use for your time. You are acting way too obsessive and reminding me why our marriage never worked. She gave Prince a good kick and he galloped out of the barn.

Helena didn't have to do much to help set things up for Maril's coronation. The department in charge of set-up was actually competent for a government agency. They had a detailed plan on what they needed to do and went about completing it with amazing efficiency.

Helena found the setting for the coronation absolutely beautiful. The reflecting pool and the area around it were similar to the reflecting pool in Washington D.C. The water was clear and reflected the orange sky of Tamaran. At the head of the pool was a large tower that for centuries had been used by the royals to address the public. Maril's mother had brought to Tamaran the tradition of inaugural addresses and was the first royal to address the nation after her coronation. Koriand'r had the actual coronation done in the National Cathedral and then addressed the crowd that had gathered at the reflecting pool. Maril was doing things differently in that she was having both her coronation and the address at the reflecting pool. Helena knew all the plans she had for her coronation and was blown away by what Maril was planning to do.

Maril left early to change into her gown and practice her speech. She left Helena in charge to oversee everything, although the committee pretty much ran on auto-pilot. The main job of the workers was to construct the temporary stands to house all the spectators. Along with the stadium style seats they were constructing several towers to serve as theatre boxes for the VIPs. Most of the seats were reserved for the government officials of Tamaran. One was reserved for the visiting Thanagarian delegation, of course, and a couple were reserved for the Justice Leaguer members that had come to support Maril.

As Helena watched the construction of the towers, an idea struck her about the seating arrangement. Since she was in charge she was able to use the nominal authority Maril had given her to place the Thanagarian delegation in the tower across from the one she would be occupying. That way she would be able to watch Rex during Maril's coronation and speech. She particularly wanted to see Rex's reaction when Maril announced she was marrying him.

The workers had everything done well ahead of schedule and Helena was able to briefly check in on Maril before she had to get dressed herself. Maril was wearing a very elegant dress that actually covered her skin, unlike most of the Tamaranian clothes. The dress had a long train that would need to be carried by servants. Maril had originally objected to wearing anything that would require servants to follow after her as she didn't like the idea of how it placed her above everyone and turned the servants into mere props. She had been forced to change her mind after the council of Elders instructed her as Queen she would have to maintain the standards of the office, including the use of servants waiting on her.

Maril was wearing her hair straight. She had the curls done away with for the moment. The result made her look very professional and dignified. Helena told her it was exactly how a Head of State should look. What amazed Helena most about Maril was how calm and collected the girl was. She was about to become the ruler of a planet of billions and she seemed unfazed by the whole process. Helena first thought she was calm because she had her whole life to prepare for this. After a while Helena realized she was most likely calm because this day seemed easy compared to the following day, when she would have to get married to someone she thought was a complete stranger. For a moment at least Helena was glad she had not spilled the beans about Rex, as it actually made the coronation easier for her.

Maril ran through her coronation speech with Helena, and in Helena's opinion delivered it almost flawlessly. Helena gave her a few pointers, but other than that told her to deliver it exactly as she had practiced it. Helena was especially impressed with the manner in which she was set to deliver the news of the new nation Tamaran was forming with a newly freed Thanagar. Rumors had been spreading around the planet some alliance was bound to be created, but she knew the populace wouldn't be quite prepared for the forming of a new nation and the idea that the Thanagarians were now their fellow countrymen. Maril did a great job in her speech of stating the reasons for the joining of the nations, but not making too much of it so that the citizenry would be too shocked by the unexpected change.

Maril even did a good job with the part of her speech that mentioned her marriage to Warhawk. When she delivered it to Helena there was no change in her emotional state when she mentioned the marriage. Helena wondered if this would stay true when she had to give the speech to the crowd, in front of her friends and family.

Helena left Maril so she could get ready herself. She finished up just as some servants had knocked on her door to escort her to the ceremony. She rode over with Connor and they were seated in their box with Dick, Barbara, Rcihie, Olivia, the twins, Ryand'r, and Shayera. Helena and Connor occupied the two seats behind Shayera and Ryand'r. Helena noticed Shayera staring across the pool at the box with the Thanagarian delegation in it. Rex was wearing the same body armor that hid all his features. Still, Helena was wondering if Shayera could tell Warhawk was really her son.

As the sun fell several soldiers started lighting the torches around the pool. Helena found it ironic an advanced civilization still used torches at times, but Maril told her it was part of the tradition that went back centuries. Helena was shocked the torches were able to illuminate the entire square.

A voice came over the loudspeakers and announced the arrival of the Royal Guard. At the end of the pool two columns of soldiers carrying spears marched out onto the square and headed for the pool. When the first soldier of each column reached the pool they lifted off a few feet above the ground and started floating over the pool. Each soldier did the same until the two columns had each side of the pool lined. In synchronized motion they turned in and held their spears up and at the saluting position.

The voice on the loudspeaker next announced the presence of the Tamaranian Head Bishop and Helena watched as he floated from the balcony of the large tower. He took a position at the head of the pool and waited.

After several moments of silence from the loudspeakers, the voice announced the coming of Princess Maril for her coronation. A slow serenade started emanating from the loudspeakers after everyone was told to look east. Helena looked in that direction and saw her floating in the sky towards the reflecting pool. As Maril moved closer Helena could make out the two servants behind her holding up her train. One of them was definitely Rheand'r, the other looked like Rheand'r's younger sister.

Maril flew high over the stands at the east end of the pool. Once she reached the edge of the pool she floated down, but stopped when she was hovering several feet above the ground. She floated out and over the pool, flying under the outstretched spears of the Royal Guard that lined the pool. When she reached the west end of the pool she stopped in front of the bishop.

Maril stood still as he went through the history of Tamaran and the power granted to him as X'Hal's representative to crown the royal ruler of the planet. When that was over Maril bowed before him as he grabbed the crown and held it over her head. He said the words proclaiming her queen and placed the crown upon her head. The crowd cheered as Maril lifted her head and started floating up in the sky. She stopped when her train could hang loose without touching the water. The servants who had been carrying it flew away, leaving her alone.

The voice came over the loudspeakers again and proclaimed her Queen Maril of Tamaran. The crowd cheered once again as Maril spread her arms and launched bolts from her hands. From afar her beams resembled fireworks as they exploded in the sky.

Maril flew up, flipped around and floated down onto the balcony for the Command Tower. When she was standing on the balcony she waved her arms up and down to silence the crowd. They complied and she began her address. She spoke of how she was humbled to be expected to lead the great nation of Tamaran. She pledged to rule in the manner of the great leaders of her family before her. She spoke of her life on Earth and her time fighting with the Justice League, and how she believed the lessons she had learned there would help make her a better ruler here on Tamaran. She spoke of the aspirations she had for her nation and the people under her rule. She moved into the part of her speech where she explained how in order to enhance the security of Tamaran they were going to have to form alliances with nations which shared the same security concerns as they did. She then moved on to saying that not only would they form alliances with other nations they would actually combine with one nation in particular; the nation of Thanagar which was declaring its independence from Gordania.

Mumbles and yells ran out from the crowd. While the leaks had helped prepare the populace for the news, many of them had been unwilling to truly believe. In particular, the ones who hated the news had been unwilling to believe it. Now that their queen revealed it to be true, they were making their displeasure known.

Maril stood slilently, watching the crowd and letting them have their say first. Helena knew she was waiting for the crowd to quiet on their own. The problem was, they were unwilling to comply. Helena was wondering if Maril would be able to gain control of the crowd. She was but a few minutes into her rule as queen, and she was already being tested.

Maril raised a hand in the air. Helena knew it was meant to silence the crowd, but wasn't sure the rest of the crowd would see it and obey. Helena expected her to issue a command; to make the crowd obey her. Instead of issuing a command, she fired several bolts from her hand into the sky. It was a powerful display of the kind of power she possessed that they lacked. The crowd received the message and became silent.

"Thank you," she said when almost everyone had quieted down. I know many of you will have problems and questions about the new nation we are forming with Thanagar." Helena was shocked as Maril was going off script and improvising now. Helena was fearful about what would happen, but hopeful Maril could pull it off. "I will admit to you, I shared many of these concerns when the proposition was first put forth to me. I was reluctant to put our nation through the disruptions such a union would cause; I was reluctant to wed our nation to a fledgling one just declaring its independence from an occupying force. However, if we are to stand for anything as a nation we must help other people in need, and who would need our help more than a nation trying to throw off the yoke of oppression. While the near future may be perilous as our two planets become one nation, the distant future holds the promise of a larger and more powerful nation for all of us that can give us more protection then we could ever have on our own."

Helena smiled broadly as she was amazed by what Maril had added. She looked around at the crowd and they all seemed mesmerized by what she said. Many of them were whispering to each other. Helena hoped they were talking positively about the case Maril had laid out to them for the new nation.

Maril seemed to notice the whispering and paused for a moment to let everyone speak to each other for a brief moment. Helena saw her glance over at the Thanagarian delegation. She was to mention her upcoming marriage next and was likely taking stock of Warhawk, knowing all eyes would be on him in a moment.

Maril took a deep breath and straightened her posture. Her voice sounded extra powerful when she continued her speech. "The hope of both me and the ruling administration of Thanagar is to create a new nation that will last a thousand years. We do not wish to create a nation that will be little more than a temporary alliance. In order to create a new, strong nation in which both Tamaranean and Thanagarian will share equally in power. . ." Maril paused and took another deep breath as she prepared herself for what she was about to reveal. "The Royal House of Tamaran will join with the Thanagarians. Tomorrow, I will wed Emperor Warhawk." Maril raised her hand in his direction. Helena looked across and saw Rex was unmoved by Maril's gesture with all the eyes in the area fixating on him. He sat stolid, continuing to stare at Maril.

Helena was shocked by the silence in the air. It appeared everyone was too stunned to say anything. Maril looked around and quickly continued speaking when she realized there was silence in the stands. "General Warhawk will become King of our combined nation, and will share power equally with me." Maril paused as she looked at Rex again. Helena knew Maril's speech well and knew this was the part where she was supposed to say she had spoken with him at length, and knew he shared the same hopes and dreams for their nation that she did. She was supposed to reassure the public his governing philosophy matched hers. It was all bullshit, the two of them had hardly communicated before agreeing to the marriage. Of course, the joining of the two nations had little to do with how well Maril got along with him. In a way, the BS didn't hurt too much and was most likely needed to placate the public.

Helena smiled a bit thinking about how Warhawk was really Rex. If Maril knew the truth she would know everything would work in terms of how the two would rule together. Maril and Rex had always seen eye to eye on absolutely everything.

"Tomorrow our nations will start a glorious new age together," Maril said. Helena was shocked as she had skipped the entire section of her speech on how much she had in common with Warhawk. Everyone else in the box with Helena appeared to notice as well and started fidgeting and whispering to whoever was near about it. "The near future may be rough and rocky, but we will persevere through any hardship and come out of this a stronger nation than ever before. Good night, and may X'hal bless Tamaran." With those final words Maril lifted off and flew to the palace. She left the audience behind to talk about what everything meant.


	17. Chapter 17: The SetUp

**Chapter 17**

Wonder Woman flew to the high-tech district and hovered over the warehouse she had visited the previous night. Bruce had said she should simply return to the warehouse, the Dopple Gang would be waiting for her, and this time they would have a proper message. Diana was skeptical, but didn't know Gotham like he did and had no standing for backing up her feelings.

Wonder Woman had avoided talking to the police. She thought Bruce would want to give them a head's up about what they were doing, but he thought it best they keep things to themselves right now. He thought something was being orchestrated specifically to target superheroes; the police would be unlikely to deal with it and would just be putting themselves in harm's way.

The warehouse looked dead. There were no lights emanating from the windows. Diana was skeptical anyone was inside, but she knew Bruce wouldn't let her leave without checking it out. She descended to street level, and couldn't hear any music coming from the warehouse like the day before.

"I think there is no one in there," she said to Bruce over her comlink. "Could this be some kind of trap for me?"

"We have no idea who the Dopple Gang is working for, but if there is going to be a trap set for you; it won't be at this warehouse tonight. Someone went through a lot of trouble setting things up, and they didn't go through all that trouble just to spring a simple trap inside a hideout. Go in and see what you can find. While they may not be trying to hurt you, they might be playing games with you. That means any information they might have left might be rigged for destruction if you don't do the right thing."

"I understand," she said to him. She walked up to the door and opened it quietly. It was dark inside, as she had been able to see from outside. While there was no loud noise, Diana listened carefully to try and detect anything soft.

Diana thought she heard a whimper, and walked further into the warehouse to try and hear it better. The sound was stronger and Diana could tell it was coming from the middle of the warehouse. She wasn't afraid of giving away her position, so she had the star on her tiara illuminate and provide some light for her to look around.

When her tiara illuminated, the whimper turned into a muffled voice. Diana ran in the direction of it and found Catwoman bound and gagged on the floor between the couch and armchair.

Diana knelt beside the woman and pulled the tape from her mouth. "Thank God you found me," Catwoman said, obviously relieved. "I was worried you might not show up."

"So, your compatriots expected me," Diana said to her. "Were you left behind to give me a message?"

"Not really," Catwoman answered as Diana finished untying her hands. Catwoman rubbed them and then went to work on her ankle restraints herself. "I was left behind like this because I didn't want to go along with what they had planned."

"And what was that?" Diana asked.

"The rest of the guys are looking to start a gang war. Not just any gang war, but the biggest one the city has ever seen. They want to bring this city to its knees."

"What made them want to attempt that?"

"They were getting tired of being seen as nothing more than fanboys. They wanted to be respected and feared just as much as the super villains they emulated. They wanted to live in the old days."

"How did they get the gangs on their side?"

"Each one went to a gang and propositioned them to be their minions, just like in the days of old. They were all laughed at, but they all told them of heists they could pull. The gangs all pulled off the heists they were told to, and came to believe their super villain would truly be able to make them more rich and powerful than the others."

"How were they so good at finding heists the gangs could pull off?"

"A lot of the guys are expert hackers, they can find shipment schedules, crack security codes, you name it. They gained the trust of the gangs fairly quickly, but tried to stay separate so no one would ever connect them."

"So you guys always made sure to have alibis when a gang pulled something."

"Exactly, and as they led the gangs to more successful heists, they gained more trust. Of course, with every gang pulling better heists, they all became jealous of one another. For the past week, they have been feeding this hatred and jealousy. Each Dopple Gang member is set to unleash their gang on the city tomorrow night. They have all told their gangs they have plans for wiping out all the other gangs."

"And why didn't you want to go along with it now. You obviously didn't have a problem before."

"I never adopted a gang like the others," Catwoman said as she shook her head. "I mainly did it because I thought their grand plan could never succeed. If I had known it could, I would have stopped them long ago. It wasn't until just earlier this day that I realized it was going to succeed. They are going to get their gang war."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Diana told her defiantly.

"Be careful what you believe," she heard Bruce say in her ear. "She might be a plant left behind to give us this message for a reason."

Diana thought what Bruce had said was ridiculous, there didn't appear to be any ulterior motive to revealing a huge gang war was coming to Gotham. She didn't feel like asking him for his opinion on what she should do. He would most likely want her to interrogate the woman to find out if she was lying or not. As far as Diana was concerned, that would only waste time when she could be out investigating the situation for herself.

"Do you know where anyone is right now?" she asked Catwoman.

"I know where every gang's hideout is," she answered. She proceeded to list the names and locations of all the hangouts she knew.

"Got them?" she asked Bruce. Catwoman didn't seem curious at all about who she was talking to.

"Yes, I can tell you how to get to each place," Bruce replied. "I still don't know if we can trust her. I believe someone else is behind all this. I know you would rather just check out all the places she gave you. So I guess we'll just have to do things your way."

Diana suppressed a smile over Bruce's surrender. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked Catwoman. "Do you have a safe place you can go to?"

"Yes, I have some friends I can stay with," she answered. "I don't think I have too much to worry about with any of them. If they wanted me dead they could have killed me instead of tying me up."

"Which makes me think she's delivering a message someone wants us to hear," Bruce said to Wonder Woman.

"If you need protection, go to the police," Diana told her. "You needn't worry about them throwing you in jail if you need help."

Diana flew out the door and up into the night sky. "Do you really not understand what just happened back there?" she asked Bruce as she flew.

"Apparently not, explain it to me," he said.

Diana smiled at the role reversal she was experiencing. "I wasn't being duped back there. I'm not like you and Helena. If one of you gets the hint there is a trap you try and find out all the information you can to disassemble it. On the other hand, I have no trouble walking into the trap and springing it. I figure I can take their best shot."

"It is such a good thing you sent Helena to live with me so I could train her," Bruce replied. Diana noticed how he emphasized the 'I'.

"You have little choice but to help me. Tell me where I should go first."

Bruce told her to go to the hangout at the docks. She went there and found it empty and abandoned. There were no clues there that might have told her where the gang had fled. Every other place she went to was the same story. She spent the entire night checking out every gang hangout that Bruce had in his database. Finally, as the sun came up she returned to the cave.

"Something big is definitely about to occur," she said to Bruce the moment she saw him back at the Batcave. Neither one made mention of whether Catwoman was telling the truth or not. It suddenly didn't matter. "All the gangs have gone into hiding. It's a common military tactic, retreat from your known strongholds so you're safe from any counterattack. Since every gang has done it, they must all plan on attacking somebody, just as Catwoman said. We need to find a way to stop it."

Bruce turned around in his chair to face her, but didn't look at her. He sat there brooding. "We need intel," he told her as he looked up at her. Diana wasn't sure what Bruce was doing, but he appeared to be looking her over. "Strength is not going to be much use right now. I need to spend the day out, go incognito and see if I can get anyone to tell me anything. Then maybe we can get to the bottom of this gang war and who is manipulating everything."

Bruce got out of his chair and walked to the storage cabinet holding his old Batman equipment and costumes. "You can't go out there Bruce," she yelled at him as she followed him to the cabinet. "How do you possibly think you're going to be able to extract any information from anyone?"

Bruce came out holding a costume she knew well. "Matches Malone should still be known to a few people at least. I should be able to find out a great deal if I go out as him."

Diana recognized the look in Bruce's eyes and on his face. She hadn't seen it since he retired as Batman. He was feeling useful again; he was living his life's purpose. She knew inside he must be feeling alive for the first time in a long time. Despite how great she knew he must be feeling, she just couldn't let him go out and put himself in harm's way.

"You can't do this, Bruce. There has to be another way," she said to him softly. She was surprised he didn't get angry at all. He just looked back at her with a determined expression on his face.

"This is the only way to find out the information we need to stop the war and find out who's manipulating everything." He walked upstairs to the manor and disappeared to put on his clothes and make-up to turn into Matches Malone.

Diana wanted to run or fly after him to stop him, but she didn't do anything. She wanted to stop him and tell him she was worried for him, their daughter was worried for him, but she stood motionless. She wanted to tell him he was being paranoid thinking there was some big mastermind behind everything. She stayed where she was though as she knew it was all hopeless. She had this fight with him before, and she lost every time. As she stood defeated, she hoped that by going out as Matches Malone he would be able to find out something that would aid them in stopping this gang war.

Helena lied awake in bed for hours. Connor was able to sleep just fine, and the fact she didn't want to wake him up kept her from tossing and turning. For several hours, she just stared at the ceiling and thought about things.

She thought mostly about Rex and Maril, and what their marriage was going to be like. The entire day she had been sure Maril would be overcome with joy when she found out Rex was alive and he was the man she was marrying. As she lied awake she began to doubt that and believe she may be wrong.

Helena had been caught off guard by Maril's speech when she skipped over the portion on how she shared ideals with Warhawk. The fact Helena had been caught off guard by the actions of her friend made her question if she truly did understand her friend well enough. She started wondering if her friend would truly have the reaction to finding out Rex was alive that she believed she would have. From time to time, Helena tried to calm down by reminding herself she was being irrational; Maril still loved Rex and would give anything to have him back. There was nothing he could ever do that would change that.

In an attempt to get her mind off Maril and Rex she thought about her parents and what they were doing back on Earth. She felt bad about leaving when the gangs in Gotham were going through a period of boldness and going on crime sprees. She wondered how her parents were dealing with it. She knew she should have confidence in them, but also thought about how her father was old and her mother was inexperienced with Gotham. She felt bad about not contacting them and getting an update on the situation. She knew it would be the middle of the night over in Gotham and her father would have her mother on patrol still. Since her mind was restless and she couldn't sleep she decided to find a communicator and call home.

Helena got out of bed and put a robe on over her nightgown. She walked to the door and when she opened it she was shocked to find Maril standing in front of her. "What are you doing?" she asked her friend.

"I-I don't know exactly," Maril replied in a sheepish voice. Her eyes were darting around as she couldn't seem to look Helena in the eye. "I just needed to talk to you, but when I came down here I couldn't bring myself to knock on the door and wake up the two of you. I've been standing out here for a while," she admitted. She shook her head as she talked. Helena could see she was in turmoil, and she didn't have to be the world's greatest detective to figure out it was her upcoming marriage that was causing her so much emotional strife.

Helena embraced Maril and gave her a tight hug. "I'm here for you if you want to talk about anything," she said to her friend. As she broke the hug Maril wiped a tear from her eye.

"You look like you were heading somewhere," Maril said in a soft voice. "You have better things to do then talk to me. I should go."

"Maril, how can you think that?" Helena tried to say in a reassuring tone. She always found these kinds of talks difficult; "You're my best friend and you always come first in my life. I was merely suffering from insomnia and thought it would help to take a walk. Why don't you come with me?"

Helena just started walking and Maril followed her, obediently. Helena had learned her way around the palace over the last two days and decided to slowly lead Maril back to her bedroom. She knew with the state the girl was in she probably wouldn't notice where she was heading.

Walking slowly, Helena was able to take in the beauty of the palace for the first time. The walls were composed of plates of diamond shaped metal with crystals placed at every intersection of four diamonds. The metal was reflective which gave the feeling of walking through a hall of mirrors. In a nod to the past, the hallway was illuminated by gas lamps. The decor of the hallways gave Helena the feeling of walking through both a futuristic space station and an old fashioned castle at the same time.

The two walked in silence for a while. Helena expected Maril to open up with what was bothering her, but the girl stayed silent. Helena decided to start the conversation herself. "You're thinking about Rex, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yeah," Maril answered in an almost apologetic tone. "I thought I would be able to get through the wedding without thinking about him. I thought I was over his death, but-"

Maril paused for a moment and Helena took the opportunity to finish her thought. "But you find yourself thinking about what you lost when he died, and how you're never going to have the life you thought you did."

"Exactly," Maril replied simply. She seemed relieved that Helena had said the words she was having trouble getting out.

Helena bit her tongue. She thought she could end all of Maril's problems by telling her Rex was still alive and he was the man she was going to be marrying tomorrow. She stayed silent about it as she knew Rex had to reveal the truth to Maril himself.

"I've spent the entire week here fighting his memory," Maril said, still speaking softly. "Ever since he died it has been difficult for me to come here. I know I've used the excuse of my father's retirement and my obligation to protect Bludhaven as the reason for not visiting more, but the truth is I have too many memories of my trip here with Rex that crop up whenever I visit."

"I remember that trip well," Helena said.

"You don't know this, but, but-"

"But that trip was the first time the two of you made love," Helena replied.

Maril stopped walking as her jaw nearly hit the floor. She was absolutely stunned over the revelation Helena knew what had happened all those years ago. "How did you know? Did Rex say something-"

"I figured it out at the time," Helena replied. "My father taught me to be observant. It's part of the whole world's greatest detective thing."

"My father never taught me that stuff," Maril said as she began walking and following Helena again.

"According to my father, yours never learned that stuff."

"You know, it was my father's marriage to Barbara that had me on such a high that trip. I know my parents love each other very much, but my father and Barbara were the two that had the very special relationship. They were the two that were always fated to be together. Throughout their lives they found each other again and again no matter what happened. The two of them were fated to be together. At their wedding, you could tell they had something special that only a rare number of people ever get to experience. I sincerely believed Rex and I were like that."

Helena found her eyes welling with tears as she listened to what Maril said. Helena wanted to tell Maril she and Rex were fated to be together. The fact they were getting married despite everything that had happened to them was proof of that. It took a lot of willpower for her to remain silent. She had to turn her head away from Maril for a moment as she fought back the tears.

Maril didn't notice what Helena was doing. She kept walking and talking without missing a beat. "When we came here with Rex I really felt like I was embarking on that kind of relationship with him. I know I was young and naive, but I thought Rex and I had a connection that could never be broken. The feeling of having that kind of relationship was just euphoric. It was a high that never went away."

Maril let out a sigh as she lowered her head and looked at her feet as she walked. "The feeling we were supposed to be together no matter what, made it so hard for me to believe Rex had been killed. I thought it was metaphysically impossible for Rex to die before we could have been married."

The two of them walked in silence for a while until they reached Maril's bedroom. Helena slowed up and Maril followed suit. When they slowed down, Maril lifted her head and looked around, finally realizing she had been led to her bedroom.

"I guess this means you expect me to go back to bed, put everything out of my mind, and get some sleep," Maril said to Helena.

"Does that really sound so bad?" Helena asked her friend.

"No," Maril replied softly.

"Come on, I'll tuck you in," Helena said tongue in cheek. Helena was joyous she got a laugh out of Maril. She hoped this little talk had helped Maril get some things off her chest. Helena followed her friend into the bedroom.

Maril slipped off her robe and threw it over the chair to her make-up table. She crawled into bed and pulled the covers up around her. Helena sat on the bed and rubbed Maril's arm. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked her friend.

Maril looked out the open window as she replied to Helena. "I think so," she began. "I just need to focus on the duty I have to do this. That will get me through the day."

Helena stood up and began to walk away. She was halfway to the door when she heard a faint sob come from the bed. She stopped in her tracks as she realized Maril was trying to fight from crying.

Helena realized Maril needed more comforting and walked back to the bed. When she reached it she saw Maril with her head buried in her pillow in an attempt to muffle the sound of her sobbing. Her body shook with every cry.

Helena slipped out of her robe and let if fall to the floor. She lifted up the covers and got under them. She slid over to Maril and pressed her body against the girl's as she wrapped an arm around her.

"I'm here for you Maril," she whispered in the girl's ear. Helena's presence appeared to sooth Maril as her cries and shakes subsided.

"I can't stop thinking about what I'm never going to have," Maril said as she continued looking straight out the window. "I had conceded I was never going to have love again, but I never thought I was going to be completely alone. I'm going to have a marriage with a husband who doesn't know me and may never care for me. I'm going to have to live on this planet away from my friends. I'm going to have no one in my life."

Helena realized for the first time just how bad of a situation Maril believed she was putting herself in. Helena couldn't share her sadness as she knew the truth that Maril was definitely not going to have the kind of loveless marriage she feared. She also knew what Maril needed was just some company for this night. She knew the girl needed to realize she was not going to be alone.

Helena pulled Maril closer to her with her left arm. With her right arm she began stroking her hair and pulled it back out of her face. Helena leaned over Maril and kissed her on the temple. Her lips lingered on Maril's skin for a long moment to make sure the girl could feel the affection.

When Helena was done with her kiss she nuzzled her face against the back of Maril's head. She could feel the tension Maril had leaving her body. "I love you Maril. You don't have to worry about being alone," she said softly to the girl. "I will always be here for you. I promise." She continued holding Maril as the two of them fell asleep together.


	18. Chapter 18: The Wedding

**Chapter 18**

"The Dopple Gang?" Helena said, incredulous. Diana almost laughed over the facial expression her daughter made. Helena appeared larger than life on the viewscreen of the Batcomputer. She looked perfectly regal in her Amazonian armor, all dressed up for Maril's wedding. Diana felt bad that Helena felt the need to tear herself away from the wedding for a moment to help her with the situation in Gotham. However, from what Helena had told her about what was happening on Tamaran, it seemed like she was happy for the respite from everything.

"I always saw them as a bunch of pathetic losers playing as super villains in an attempt to get in my pants. Sorry if my language bothers you, Mom."

"Noted," Diana replied, disapprovingly. "They are definitely in the center of what's happening, whatever that is. The information one of their members gave us on the gang's activity appears to be checking out."

"Someone's using them," Helena interjected. "They could never do this on their own."

"Your father believes the same thing. He thinks someone big is pulling all the strings here."

"It could be mind control," Helena added.

"The Dopple Gang Catwoman didn't seem to be under any mind control either by spell or machine."

"Are you sure Mom?"

"Yes, I've seen people under mind control a lot. I know what it looks like." Diana did not like having her experience questioned by her daughter.

"Okay, so how do you plan on finding where the gangs are and what they're about to do?"

Diana was actually afraid to answer her daughter on this one. She knew Helena wouldn't be happy he was out in the line of danger. "Your father is out on the streets as Matches Malone. He's trying to get information from whatever old contacts might still be around."

The look of anger on Helena's face was exactly what Diana had expected. "You let him go out?" she said in a raised voice. "He's almost sixty years old, and he has no super powers. He's a sitting duck for anyone who realizes he's not on their side."

"You need to relax, Helena. He's just talking to some people now. It's mostly just bartenders who might have overheard their customers say something. He's not really putting himself in the line of fire."

"He's not now, but he will be. I know him. You're supposed to know him. After he gets a taste of the old life he is not going to give it up so quickly, especially when he feels his city is going to need him so badly. You're going to have to knock him out and tie him to a chair to keep him in the cave, at least for a little while until he frees himself from the chair."

"Your father will be safe tonight," Diana tried to assure her daughter. Diana knew everything Helena said was true. She had no idea how she was going to keep Bruce out of the thick of the fight. She hoped her daughter would believe the lie she had everything under control.

"And how are you going to make sure of that?" she asked as she crossed her arms. Helena glared at her. It was the same glare her father had mastered for interrogating criminals. Even through a viewscreen Diana thought it still had a lot of power.

Diana heard a noise behind her and turned to see Superman walking up to her. When he saw her talking to Helena he seemed to stop dead in his tracks, unwilling to interfere with the conversation. "I've asked for some help," Diana told her daughter. "I think between the two of us we can convince your father we can handle whatever happens tonight."

Helena smirked. Bruce always said she laughed, giggled, and smirked just like her mother, but Diana never saw the similarities. Diana saw Helena's eyes move off her and could tell she was looking behind her and at Superman. "That's probably going to be harder than you think. You don't know what he says about the two of you when you're not around."

"You might be surprised to learn we've probably heard it all. He says a lot of stuff to our faces," Superman informed Helena. "You look beautiful by the way. Give Maril my congratulations on her marriage."

Helena appeared flattered and embarrassed by the compliment Superman paid her. She smiled lightly, but worked to suppress a broader one. For a while she avoided eye contact with either Superman or her mother. "Thanks," she finally muttered.

"You're going to have to trust us on this one," Superman added. Helena made eye contact with them again. She still appeared skeptical, but Diana could detect a level of acceptance out of her.

"Okay, but get a bed ready in the Watchtower's medical ward for him."

"Sure do," Superman replied.

"I need to see how Maril's doing. I'll try and call you later. And please, keep Dad safe. I have some big news I want to share with you and him when I get back."

"Is it about you and Connor?" Diana blurted out, wanting to know. "Not really, but I do have some news about the two of us," she said in a hurry right before she broke the connection.

Diana let out a loud sigh. "Getting anything personal out of that girl is like. . .well, like getting anything personal out of her father."

Superman laughed heartily over Diana's joke. "All children have trouble telling things to their parents. She's no different in that regard. She's not as much like her father as you might think."

"I know you might not notice," she said with another sigh as she leaned on the console and looked back at him. "She's always especially friendly with you."

"I'm not her parent. She can open up to me," Clark reminded her.

"She's right about Bruce, though. Physically restraining him is the only way we are going to keep him in tonight. I knew I shouldn't have let him out today."

"There's nothing you could have done to stop him. This is what he does best. I know we've both had to deal with his hubris over the idea he knows so much more about the criminal underworld then us, but there is a degree of truth to it. He's out there collecting intel about tonight. When he comes back we'll have to convince him whatever information he brings is more than enough contribution towards saving Gotham. We're also going to need a point man tonight at the computer; hopefully he'll stay in if he believes he would be more valuable here."

"I hope you're right," Diana replied. "We might want to have some pipes ready to tie around him as a last resort, though."

The Tamaranean Royal Guard assigned to Helena made sure she made it to the Tamaranean National Cathedral without incident. She was led directly to Maril's room when she arrived. She found Maril sitting in a chair, staring at herself in the mirror.

Maril was wearing an extremely elegant white, traditional Earth wedding dress. She had declined her handmaidens attempts to put her in a skimpier dress that would have been more traditional from a Tamaranean standpoint. Since she was a little girl she had the dress she wanted to wear picked out, and it wasn't Tamaranean. It was just one more thing she insisted on to make up for the fact she wasn't exactly marrying her dream man, or so she thought.

Maril remained unmoved as Helena approached her. She appeared transfixed by her own reflection, but not in a narcissistic way. Helena wrapped her arms around her and gave her a hug, careful not to mess up her elaborately crafted hair.

"How are you doing?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Trying to think as little as I can about what is happening," she replied.

Helena stood up straight and started fixing the loose hairs on Maril's head. "I think you should make an effort to enjoy this," she told her friend.

Maril looked at Helena's image in the mirror. "Why do you say that?" she asked.

"This will be the only wedding you ever have. At least, it should be. Because of that fact alone you should do your best to try to make it a happy day. You've been dreaming of your wedding ever since you were a little girl. I know you think there is a lot about this marriage not to like, but who knows, maybe things will turn out a lot better than you thought."

"With my marriage?" Maril asked, not quite believing what Helena was saying.

"Yes, with your-" Helena was interrupted by Shayera walking into the room. Both girls turned to look at her as they were a bit taken aback by her entrance. She sank down and seemed apologetic as she walked towards them.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you guys, I can leave if-"

"No, stay," Maril told her. Helena glanced at her face in the mirror and could tell Maril was happy she had come. She knew the two of them would not quite admit it, but they very much had developed a mother-daughter relationship over the years. They had trouble admitting it because to do so would have been a painful reminder of how they were supposed to be family through Maril's marriage to Rex, which hadn't occurred before they thought he had died. Helena tried to suppress a smile thinking about how everything they wanted was about to happen for them.

"I'm so glad you made it," Maril exclaimed.

"I couldn't miss your wedding," the older woman said as she gave Maril a big hug. She let go, stood back, and looked over Maril.

"You look beautiful," Shayera added. "Just like I always imagined you would."

It said a lot about how far the two of them had come in putting Rex's death behind them that neither one broke down crying thinking about how Shayera had spent years imagining what Maril would look like for her marriage to Rex. "I know this wedding isn't exactly everything you wanted, but you should try and enjoy it," Shayera told Maril.

The girl looked over at Helena before she looked back at Shayera. "Helena told me the same thing. It seems to be a popular view."

"She told me, I should try and enjoy this as well. She told me one day I would be glad I did. Is there something you know that we don't?" she asked Helena.

"No, I'm just trying to make sure everyone enjoys the day." Helena hoped after they found out Rex was alive they would be too overjoyed to remember or care she had been less than truthful with them. She now understood why Rex was so scared of finally revealing himself to everyone after they had spent years believing he was dead.

The two women seemed pleased by her answer and didn't press her any more about why she was giving them the advice she was. "Helena's right, this day should still be special for you," Shayera said to Maril. "I'm glad I could come out and enjoy it with you."

Helena could tell the two were having a moment and thought it would be best to leave them alone. "I should go and make sure everything is running on schedule," she said to the two. Neither of them protested as she left.

"I'm glad to have you here. With my mother no longer around-" Maril became choked up as she thought about her recent loss. Shayera hugged her and stroked her back to try and comfort the girl.

"With all we've lost it's good we still have each other," Shayera said to Maril.

"I hope you'll still think of me as family," Maril said Shayera. "I know I'm going to need the support of a mother as I go through life. And I don't want my future children to be without a grandmother."

Shayera moved back and looked Maril in the eye. "I'll always be here for you," she told the girl as she wiped tears off her cheek.

"Thank you," Maril said as she looked at the clock on the wall. She took a deep breath. "Well, it's time."

Maril stood up and in silence the two of them walked out to the staging lobby of the cathedral. They found Helena talking to Dick about how her father was likely to put on the Batman suit once again for something major that was happening in Gotham.

"I should find a seat," Shayera said as she went through the open doors and into the Cathedral.

"Here you go," Helena said as she handed Maril her bouquet. She looked over at the ushers who were signaling the musicians. "It looks like I'm up." She kissed Maril on the cheek and whispered in her ear, "You're going to be fine."

Helena walked to the door, paused, and then started walking down the aisle. She proceeded slowly, looking around at all the people in attendance. She saw the League members clustered together in one of the middle aisles. Richie and Olivia were sitting in the front of course.

Rex was standing at the altar with the Head Bishop of Tamaran. He was once again wearing the full body armor she had seen him in when he first arrived on Tamaran. He was lucky Tamaranean tradition called for the wearing of military dress at weddings. Otherwise, he would have seemed out of place wearing all that armor.

Helena bowed to him as she had been instructed to do. She then took her place at the side of the altar. The music changed as Maril started walking down the aisle with her father. The robotic cameras that were broadcasting the wedding to the rest of Tamaran buzzed around the two of them.

As Maril approached, Helena got a good look at her face. She was smiling broadly for the cameras. To Helena, it didn't seem forced. Her father had a look of pride on his face. Helena wondered what the two of them said to each other before they came out.

While Rex looked at Maril as she walked up to the altar, she kept her gaze forward and at the Bishop. The two of them stood side by side while the Bishop began the ceremony. The two of them appeared emotionless to Helena as they faced each other and put their rings on each other. As requested by the two of them, the Bishop skipped the part where he was to tell Rex he could kiss the bride. He merely presented them as a wedded couple to the people gathered, who all cheered as the cameras buzzed around them capturing everything for their respective citizens to see.

Maril and Warhawk walked out of the Cathedral together. A spinner was waiting to take them to the Palace for their reception. Warhawk helped Maril in and then took a seat himself. He signaled to the driver and they lifted off and headed for the Palace.

The two of them were silent the entire trip. Despite the armor coverine her face, Maril could feel her husband staring at her bosom. She guessed that he wasn't staring at her bosom as much as he was staring at the ring that was hanging from her neck.

She grabbed the ring and she noticed him flinch, an indication her hunch was right. "I guess you're wondering what this is?" she said to him.

Warhawk was motionless. Maril assumed she was right. "This is an engagement ring that was given to me by the love of my life, who was murdered by your people five years ago. You might have heard about the death of Rex Stewart, the son of the hated traitor Shayera Hol." Warhawk made no move or sound. Maril continued, "I wear this in remembrance of him. I will never take it off. It is something you are going to have to accept." Warhawk nodded, indicating he understood everything.

Bruce had taken out one of his classic PT cruisers for his stint as Matches Malone. When he returned instead of driving it to the garage he brought it in the Batmobile's entrance and parked it next to the old car.

He walked to the Batcomputer without taking any notice of Superman. He sat down and started working things out on the computer. He was going through maps of city streets at lightning speed. He was showing the same type of obsessive behavior he had as Batman.

"How did your scout mission go?" Diana asked him after he worked for a couple minutes without filling them in on what he was doing.

"Somehow I got almost the entire battle plan for every gang tonight. As always, a lot of thugs have trouble keeping their mouths shut when they're drunk or high."

Neither Diana nor Clark were surprised Bruce was able to get so much information out of people. They were always astounded by the way Bruce was able to find out so much. Of course, to Bruce, what made him so successful was not the nuggets of information he got, but the way he was able to put the nuggets together. He always told them there was always information about crimes being planned out there; it just took the right person to put everything together.

Bruce went through everything with Clark and Diana. He had information on where each gang was making its home base. He knew who was attacking who and where, but didn't know much about what time or with how many forces these attacks were being waged. To the best of his ability, he tried to estimate the things he didn't know.

Bruce made up a battle plan for the three of them. Diana and Clark were quite impressed as he had to be making it up on the fly. He didn't know Diana had called in Clark, after all, yet he was including him in his plans.

Neither of them said anything about Bruce including himself in their plans. They knew they could speak up and tell him they would call in reinforcements from the League. They could tell him it wouldn't be necessary for him to put himself in harm's way. Neither of them did as they knew his knowledge of Gotham would be invaluable and it was better utilized having him out there in the fight instead of sitting in the cave at the computer.

None of them suggested calling in reinforcements from the rest of the League. The three of them had fought together for over two decades and had developed a rapport that additional heroes would only disrupt. There was a feeling among them this was a fight that was theirs and theirs alone. When Bruce was done filling them in on all the details, he headed for the Batboat dock to grab the new suit he had been constructing.

"Bruce," Diana called after him. He stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her.

"You can't do this for Hera's sake. You're too old. We have a daughter to think about. A daughter who would be furious at you for putting yourself in danger like this."

"I still have my parents to think about," he informed Diana. "I made a promise to them to protect Gotham. This city needs me now more than ever. Unless you plan on breaking my legs, you're not going to stop me." He walked to the cliff that overlooked the Batboat dock and descended on the elevator.

"Is that really all you are going to do to try and stop him?" Clark asked Diana.

"What can I say, this city does need him. I just needed to make a token attempt so I can tell Helena in good faith I tried to stop him."

Clark gave Diana a look that indicated he thought her half-hearted attempt wouldn't exactly please her daughter. "You'll back me up I made a real attempt to stop him?"

Clark held up his hands. "You're not dragging me into this if Helena blows a gasket. I'm not taking her on for your sake. There are limits to our friendship." He barely got out that last sentence through his giggles.

The wedding feast held in Maril and Rex's honor was a grand affair. The planet of Tamaran had been unified through political marriages, and over the years numerous traditions had been created. Those traditions were being upheld for the uniting of Thanagar and Tamaran by the marriage of Rex and Maril.

Maril and Rex were to remain separated during the feast. They each ate with their own people. The tradition had started as a way for two tribes to celebrate one last time as separate nations before they were joined together as one with the rise of the sun the next day.

Helena sat beside Maril at a table with the Tamarenian Council of Elders. Rex had a similar seating arrangement with the Thanagarian Elders that had made the trek to witness the wedding ceremony. Helena could tell Maril was disappointed more of her friends and family were unable to sit with her. She had been told numerous times this was not a social ceremony but a political ceremony, and because of that certain egos had to be appeased by the seating arrangement. Maril actually had to fight to get Helena next to her.

Keeping with the political theme of the event, all the toasts were given by dignitaries and government officials. Helena had initially been glad she wouldn't have to give a toast. She wouldn't have known what to say when she thought Maril was marrying a complete stranger. Now that she knew Maril had married Rex, she wished she could have said a few words. She couldn't have told everyone who Rex was, but she could have made a few statements with double meanings that her friends might have remembered later.

Most of the toasts and speeches didn't deal with the marriage; they dealt with the new nation that was formed. It was just as well, as everyone believed there wasn't any personal relationship between the bride and groom to speak about. Helena found herself bored quickly as all the speeches were the same; welcoming the union with new people and wishing for a stronger nation together than either planet could be alone.

As the sun set Maril took her leave to prepare for the "wedding night." Helena asked her friend if she wanted accompaniment, but was told this was something she would rather prepare for alone. At least, she didn't want anyone who knew her too well around. Helena was surprised Maril was able to leave without any pomp and circumstance. There was no acknowledgement of any kind she had left the feast.

Helena spent the rest of the evening being ignored by the Tamaranian Elders at her table. She kept watch on Rex, wondering when he would leave. He finally took off with a group of his delegation near the end of the feast. Helena wished he would have left alone so she could have had a little talk with him about the best way for him to reveal himself to Maril. However, as she tried to imagine the conversation she realized she had no idea what Rex should say. She understood a little more why he saw it so difficult to tell the truth to the people he loved.


	19. Chapter 19: Consummation

**Chapter 19**

Diana stood watch from the roof of the building across the street from the Red Light Tavern. Decades ago the building had been a brothel. When the Madame of the establishment lost the favor of the current police chief it was finally shut down. It was bought by a lowly mob enforcer shortly after that and turned into a bar; named the Red Light Tavern in honor of its history. There were rumors it contained hidden rooms and secret exits. The owner likely played up the rumors and that made it popular among the Italian low-lifes that frequented it.

The local Italian gang went by the name Il duce, which was a clear calling they either weren't very bright, didn't care what message their name sent, or did care and liked it. It was composed of the young men and boys who weren't connected enough or weren't intelligent enough to join the mafia. Diana had seen a significant number of them go into the bar. She knew they were likely to leave soon to hit their target. That was, as long as they weren't hit first. Bruce had information the Jets were going to hit this place as their first target. Due to his inability to gather proper timelines, Diana didn't know what was going to happen first.

"I think we need to be more proactive, Bruce," she said to him through her comlink. "I could go in there right now and find out their exact battle plan by using my lasso of truth."

"Not everyone knows the plans," Bruce instructed her. "If you don't catch the right guy right away the leader with the plans might escape. Also, we need this to end tonight. We have to round up every gang member taking part. Unfortunately, the best way for that to happen is for us to let this get started and then take down every gangster that comes out of the woodwork."

Diana wasn't sure if Bruce was right or not. There was definitely merit to what he said. Still, there were times where he pushed everyone into the back seat, and she felt like these might be one of those times.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of two car engines roaring toward her. She looked and saw two cars full of Jets gang members racing down the street. Guys were grabbing their guns and beginning to lean out the windows in preparation for a drive-by.

Wonder Woman jumped off the roof and landed right in front of the first car. Instead of letting it hit her she sidestepped it and spun it around as it drove by. As it started spinning the other car hit it and flew into the air.

Diana flew after the car, grabbed it and laid it on the ground. As soon as it was resting on blacktop she threw off a door and started tossing out the guys inside. By this time the guys in the other car had collected themselves and started firing their semi-automatics at her.

Only two guys were able to fire their guns at her at first. She was able to block their bullets with her bracelets. When she saw the other guys who had been in the car raising their guns she jumped backwards and over the car that was sitting on its side, landing behind it.

She could hear the bullets hitting the car, but they didn't come through at all. She ran and pushed the car towards the other one, using it as a shield. When she reached the shooters, they ran around the car to get to her. She was quick and was able to take them down in no time.

The gang members from the other car had all fled, not wanting to share in the punishment the others were going to get. Diana would have gone after them, but she turned her attention to the group of gang members that had congregated outside the bar.

There was a large man in front of the group. When he saw Diana gazing at them he ordered everyone inside. She guessed he was the leader of their little group and flew to the bar, reaching it just as the big Red door was slammed shut. She kicked the door down and saw the group leader running for the back. She took out her lasso and used it to grab the man and drag him back to her.

"I know you guys were going to strike somebody. Tell me who and where."

With the lasso of truth around the man, he couldn't lie. "We were going to strike the Sharks. We had some info they are taking refuge at Mike's automotive repair shop on the South Side. We were just going to be one half of the attack force. Some others were supposed to meet us there."

"When is this attack going to happen?"

"In half an hour," he replied.

Diana didn't waste any more time with the man. She flew out the bar and reported to Batman. "I just found out about an attack that's going to take place on the South Side."

"Good, find the place and wait for it," he replied. "I just found out about a strike that's going to be made on the Il Duce's at some restaurant. Superman is on his way to stop a strike against the Sharks, who are hold up on a boat at the docks."

For a couple hours the three superheroes ran around the city stopping one gang attack after another. They did their best to incapacitate the gang members and leave them for the police. With all the action going on that night they knew the police were going to have their hands full as well.

After stopping two car loads of opposing gang members who had stumbled upon each other, she radioed into Batman to tell them about their intended targets. She knew he was currently close to the place one of the gangs was hanging out and could stop them as they left to hit their target.

She heard silence on the other end of the line. She began to panic as she imagined the worst had happened to him. "Bruce, Bruce," she shouted as tears started to fill his eyes.

"Bruce is alive, but not exactly unhurt," a calm, deep voice said over the intercom. "I would suggest you come quickly; unless you want to see him join his parents."

The person on the other end broke the connection. Diana could have used Bruce's communicator to find out where he was, but she didn't need to. The bit about Bruce joining his parents told her exactly where he was.

Maril stood still as Rheandr'a adjusted the lingerie she was wearing. Normal Tamarean clothes were skimpy, and their lingerie was nearly non-existent. She was wearing so little she would have preferred to just meet Warhawk naked, but had been told that wouldn't be classy and would be against decorum. Maril was surprised to learn decorum had actually been developed for this kind of thing.

"Done," the girl said as she stood back and looked Maril over.

"Thanks," Maril replied. She was going to ask the girl to leave so she could be alone when a knock came at the door.

"Come in," Rheandr'a replied without first asking Maril for permission to do so. Maril gave the girl an icy stare, but the girl missed it as her eyes were focused on the door.

Maril braced herself as the door opened. She was surprised when instead of seeing Warhawk, she saw his aide Lal Talek walk through the door. He followed right behind her, but having someone else come in made her much more conscious of her near nakedness. Warhawk was still wearing the full body armor he had on for the ceremony. She didn't exactly expect him to walk in wearing a skimpy, sexy outfit, but she though he might have something that wouldn't take half the night to remove.

Lal Talek bowed to Maril as Rheandr'a bowed to the General. "I present to you, Warhawk, ruler of Thanagar," Lal said to them.

Rheandr'a looked back at Maril before she began to speak. "Queen Maril is pleased to accept the company of Warhawk for the night." The two aides both bowed again and Maril glanced at the king and then at the two of them again. She couldn't see his face or read him, but she wondered if he found what was happening as ridiculous as she did.

After bowing Rheandr'a turned to Maril. "I would like to take my leave now."

"Yes, go," Maril said to her. She looked across the room and saw Lal was doing the same thing. Lal and Rheandr'a bowed to their respective royal before they exited out the door. The second Maril was alone with her husband, she began to feel apprehensive. Her heart raced and her breath shortened. She wondered if Warhawk could detect her mood, and rather or not he was feeling the same thing.

The two stared at each other for a while. Maril found it disconcerting she couldn't see his eyes, but from the way his head was cocked she knew he was looking at her. She was hoping he would make the first move, as she had no idea how they should proceed.

The man stayed silent, but finally took a few steps and walked towards her. His metal boots clanged loudly against the stone floor, and Maril almost laughed over it. When he reached her he stayed silent. She couldn't make out much about him, but his breath seemed to be short as well. She guessed he was just as apprehensive about this as she was.

Instinctively, Maril walked over to the bed. She grabbed the covers, then dropped them and looked over her shoulder at her husband. I guess we should get undressed then. Maril pushed the lace off her shoulders and her lingerie fell to the floor. She continued looking back at Warhawk as she stepped out of it.

He stood still and did nothing. She took this as a sign he was nervous as well. "Do you need help taking that off?" she asked.

Instead of speaking, he merely shook his head no. She knew for a fact he was able to talk through his helmet, but he still stayed silent. It annoyed her to no end.

He turned his back to her and walked to one end of the room. She heard the armor pull back from his body as she turned back to the bed. As she turned she saw the armor pull back from the front of his body, but didn't notice anything detach from his wings. "Are you sure you don't need help getting the armor off your wings?" she asked as she pulled the covers down on the bed.

"I don't actually have wings," Warhawk's unaltered voice said. "I wear mechanical wings as mine were torn from my body several years ago."

Maril's legs gave out as she immediately recognized the voice. She began to fall, but grabbed one of the bedposts to stop and used her flying ability to right herself again. She clutched her chest as she felt her heart stop momentarily. She took several deep breaths as she ran Warhawk's voice through her mind again and again. Her brain told her it was Rex's voice, but she knew that couldn't be.

Trembling, Maril turned around. She expected to look at Warhawk and realize immediately he was not Rex. His back was still turned away from her and his face was in the shadows, but he looked like he could have very well been Rex. He stood unmoving, afraid to show himself to her.

For a moment Maril didn't know what to do. She found herself exhilarated by the thought Rex might still be alive and here, with her. She didn't want to have that exhilaration taken away by finding out he really was not Rex, which was likely. She didn't want to ask him directly who he was. She started walking slowly over to him.

Warhawk stayed unmoved. He had taken his armor off and laid it on the ground, but was still holding it up. He was so motionless he looked like a statue to Maril. She could see two huge lateral scars on his back and immediately thought back to the horrid day they had been sent Rex's wings. She thought how this man before her had his wings ripped off, but lived.

"I didn't hear what you said," Maril told him, her mouth dry. "Can you. . .repeat that?"

Warhawk had to know she could see he had no wings, but he repeated what he said anyway. "I wear mechanical wings as mine were torn off several years ago."

Once again, the voice sounded just like Rex's. Maril's heart jumped up into her throat. She reached him and held her hand up, hesitant to touch him. She pressed a hand against one of his big scars and he twitched immediately. She wondered if touching the scar hurt him, or if he was as exhilarated by the touching as she was.

She ran a hand along the scar and tears fell from her eye as she thought about how much pain he must have went through because of this. She looked over his back and saw it riddled with scars, wondering how any man could have endured so much. She smiled briefly as she knew Rex could have endured it.

She closed her eyes and ran her hand off the scar and along the rest of his back. She thought back to the last time they had been together and how he felt then. The scars gave the skin a different texture, but Maril was sure she was touching Rex's back. She looped her hand around his waist and pressed it against his stomach. She took a step towards him and pressed her cheek against his back. She thought back to how she used to lay on his back, between his wings. He felt just like Rex, except for one thing; the man she was pressed against was taller than Rex had been.

Maril's heart began to sink as she realized she had been wrong. She began to feel like she had lost Rex a second time. The tears of joy became tears of sadness. They fell onto the cheek she had pressed against him.

"I had a growth spurt a few years ago," Warhawk said. "I'm four inches taller than I was five years ago."

Maril almost jumped through the ceiling when she heard what he said. Rex must have sensed she had questions about his height, and he answered them for her. Maril began trembling again as she stepped back and walked around the man.

She pushed the armor he was still holding and it fell back and on the ground. Maril looked up at him and saw the face of the man she had lost years ago. She floated off the ground so their lips were on the same level. She grabbed his head with her trembling hands, leaned in, and kissed him. Even though she didn't need any more confirmation on who he was, she noted his lips felt like Rex's. He kissed her the same way Rex did.

When the kiss ended she started crying softly and buried her face where his neck met his shoulder. She could tell he was crying too. "It's you, Rex. How is this possible?" she said in a soft voice.

"I'm sorry Maril," he said as he wrapped his arms around her. "I've put you through so much. I-"

"You haven't put me through anything," she said as she grabbed his face again and stared at him. "The people who. . ." she looked him over for a second, taking in all the scars, "The people who did this to you-"

"I could have sent you a message so many times. I could have let you know and saved you so much pain."

"I have you now, that's all that matters," she said as she started sobbing harder. "I have my dream, we're married."

She wrapped her legs around him and they started kissing as he held her tighter. Rex started kissing Maril's neck and working his way down to her breasts as he walked them over to the bed.

Rex laid Maril on the bed gently. He kneeled over her and kicked off his boots as she undid his belt. Together they took his pants off.

The two of them both felt a surge of ecstasy as they started making love. Any doubts Maril might have had as to whether the man she was with was truly Rex or not were removed as they went at it. Everything felt the same on Rex to her. He tasted the same and smelled the same. Rex kissed her, caressed her, and touched her just as he always had.

Maril felt like the clock had turned back on them. She felt so close to Rex that the years they had spent apart just disappeared. She felt like it was just yesterday that she had said good-bye to him and seen him leave for Thanagar. .

When the two were done they faced each other, lying on their sides. Maril kept her arms tightly around his, while he kept a loose hold on her. She buried her face in his chest and felt the coolness of his body as she fought falling asleep. She was afraid when she woke up Rex would be gone again, and she wanted to savor every moment she could.


	20. Chapter 20: Old Enemy

**Chapter 20**

When Diana reached the right alley, she hovered over it and examined the scene below. Bruce was tied to a lamppost as if he was being crucified. It looked like she could just go down, untie him, and fly away. Of course, the person who had set this up likely knew that and would have had something planned to prevent her from doing so. Bruce was being proven right; someone had been orchestrating things to bring about this exact scenario. They had something planned and the only thing for Diana to do was to let things play out.

Diana flew straight down and landed in front of Bruce. He was unconscious and looked weak, but at least he was alive.

"Diana, how good of you to drop in," a familiar feminine voice said. Diana looked to see Circe walking out from the shadows of the alley. Diana did nothing mainly because she knew Circe well and knew this wasn't her normal style. She watched the witch as she walked past Diana and at a fire hydrant.

"I am so glad the four of us will be able to spend this time together." As she talked she knocked the clapper valve off the hydrant and water started gushing out of it. Using her magic she moved the water until it had created a dome around them encompassing the city block.

"Every once in a while my abilities as an Oceanid come in handy," she said. "I know you have your big blue boy scout flying around and we don't want him interrupting us."

"So how is your friend supposed to join us?" Diana asked. Almost on cue a manhole cover moved off the hole it was covering. Diana was shocked to see a well-dressed middle aged man in a suit emerge from it. He was carrying a large sword on his back.

"Ares," Diana said in a monotonous tone. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing his appearance was angering her. She should have guessed that a city wide gang war would have been orchestrated by a god who drew his very strength from violent death.

"Diana," he said with a sigh. He seemed disappointed to see her. "I was hoping at the last minute I might get the prize I really wanted, but you're a good secondary pick."

"And who were you originally expecting?" she asked.

He let out another sigh of disappointment. He paced around as he monologued; it was an old habit of his. "I had developed this grand plan long ago on how best to make you suffer for everything you have done to me throughout the millennia. While I was thinking about what I could do to you I remembered back to our first encounter and how this all started." He stopped pacing so he could face her and look her in the eye. "You have always been a thorn in my side because you blamed me for the trauma you went through seeing your whole family killed before you. Of course, you got your sister and mother back, but the pain of their initial loss plus the loss of your father and brother has stayed with you for over two thousand years."

A sly and devilish smile crossed his lips. "I was amazed I never thought about doing it earlier, but killing your daughter would have been a great way to traumatize you and make you pay for all the times you have stood in the way of my fun." He began pacing again as he talked. "I spent a long time piecing together this grand plan. I have to admit that when I watched your daughter work I was quite impressed with her." He looked between Diana and Bruce hanging from the lamppost. "You two must be so proud of her." Diana could detect the sarcasm in his voice.

"I knew I would need a grand plan to kill her. I knew I would have to be at my strongest. I knew I could use my special talents of stoking anger to start a major war in this city. The violence and killing that would be unleashed would strengthen me and provide a gauntlet your daughter would have to run through that would only tire her out for our eventual confrontation, where I would slice her open with this."

He pulled the sword out and admired it. "The blade of Hercules. Beautiful, isn't it?"

"I'm glad you realized you would never be able to beat my daughter in a fair fight. After all, you've never beaten me in a fair fight." She tried her best to hide her annoyance at what he was saying. For the moment, she was too focused on Ares to think about what would be happening to Helena right now if she wasn't on Tamaran.

"Yes, I never have," he said matter of factly. "That was why I was going to try going after your daughter this time. It would have given me great pleasure to see you distraught over the death of her. However, the grand prize I wanted was your death in the end. I made a deal with Hades that after Helena's death he would present you with an offer. He would return Helena to the land of the living in return for your soul, immediately. You hero types are always looking to make grand sacrifices like that. It would have been the perfect situation for me. I would have had both the pleasure of seeing you in great agony and leaving this world for good. Unfortunately, your damn daughter decided to disappear on me. I had gone too far in setting this whole scenario up to stop it in its tracks. I had to go through with it even if I couldn't get everything I want. It looks like I'm going to have to kill you with my own bare hands."

He took the sword of Hercules out and threw its sheath aside. He started breathing heavily. Diana had seen him do this before; he was drawing on all the war and violence in the area to fuel him. She knew she had to attack him before he could do so and flew at him. She was stopped by a wavy of water that came down from the dome.

She looked back to see Circe with her arms raised, controlling the water. Diana had forgotten she was there. She looked back at Ares, who she could see through the thin wall of water. He was growing in size and his bulging muscles ripped through his clothes.

Diana heard a pounding against the dome of water. She heard a voice shouting and recognized it as Superman. Circe's magic was keeping him out. She was going to have to face Ares alone, but she knew she could handle him. She adopted a fighting crouch and readied herself for battle.

When Ares had gone through his transformation Circe dropped the wall of water in front of him. He charged at her and swung the sword wildly. She either dodged his thrusts or blocked them with her bracelets.

She thought she was doing well against him. She thought he might have lost his fighting abilities since she last faced him. She remembered back to some of Bruce's training with Helena. There were sparring matches they had where Bruce let her think she was doing well, but all he was doing was studying her and letting her get a false sense of security. When his goals had been achieved he pounced and went in for the kill.

Doing badly Ares paused. "If you keep fighting like that you're going to make this easy for me," Diana said to him. You certainly never would have beaten my daughter fighting like that."

He charged at her harder this time and she had more difficulty avoiding his thrusts. He was learning the best way to attack her and she started to realize it was only a matter of time until he learned all her weaknesses. She knew she had to change the game somehow.

As she tried to avoid his blows her mind wouldn't let go of the deal he had with Hades. The two of them were not exactly on speaking terms. As she wondered how Ares could have gotten an agreement with Hades a thought struck her. If she was correct about the way the deal was made she might have the game changer she needed.

Ares took a broad swing with his sword and Diana ducked it and rolled towards Circe. The swing was so powerful Ares lost his balance for a moment. It bought Diana some extra time. She took out her lasso and fired it around Circe. When she had the goddess in her lasso's grasp she pulled the witch towards her.

Ares was unimpressed by her maneuver. "Do you really expect me to hold back since you're using Circe as a shield?"

Circe was incredulous and truly surprised by the actions of Ares. She couldn't believe he was treating her so callously. There was a piece of information Diana needed out of Circe. She was going to use the lasso to get Circe to admit it, but took the lasso off her as she felt she didn't need it.

"Why don't you tell Ares how the deal with Hades got made," she said to the goddess.

Diana could see the hatred in Circe's eyes and knew she was going to get the answer she wanted. "I had my own private meeting with Hades after you failed on several attempts to get what you wanted out of him. I slept with him in exchange for his agreement to make the deal with you."

The anger on Ares face was evident. He focused all his attention on Circe and charged at her, lifting his sword high in the air. He was paying no attention to Diana and she knew she had her opening. As he brought his sword down on Circe she flew at him. To her surprise he was ready for her and adjusted his swing at her. Diana was just barely able to block the sword with her bracelets, but the force of the blow shattered them. Ares kicked her and she flew back and hit the wall of water.

Circe was nowhere in sight. She had apparently teleported away. Diana was stunned for a moment, but regained herself as she waited for Ares to make his next move.

He laughed at her as he looked her over. "I've learned a lot over the years," he told her. Watching your daughter had helped me understand the mental side of fighting, and doing that which your opponent does not expect. I knew what Circe did to get the deal with Hades done and when I saw you try to exploit it I knew you would expect me to be distracted by it. Circe proved to be a useful fool, but at least I made sure she cast a spell that would keep this dome up no matter what happened to her.

Diana looked around her. She had certainly expected the dome to disappear with Circe. She had thought Superman might be able to join the battle with Ares, but he was still stuck outside. She looked up at Bruce, who was beginning to regain consciousness.

Diana readied herself again for an attack and Ares charged at her. Knowing she didn't have her bracelets to block any of his attacks she had to completely dodge them. She was able to maneuver fast enough to avoid them all, and as she did so she started picking up on the pattern of his attacks. She soon devised a way she could attack him quickly while coming out of a move to dodge one of his blows.

Ares took a powerful swing at her she avoided by hitting the ground. She rolled towards him and flew up at him when she was close to him. He had been expecting this move, though, and was ready for her. He had regained himself after the hard swing much more quickly then she had thought he would be able to do. With his free hand he swung at her and she dropped to the ground and cracked the pavement.

He stepped on her and drove her further into the ground. He lifted his foot up and brought it down again. This time she was ready for him and grabbed his oversized foot. He pressed down as hard as he could, but she was able to hold it steady over her.

Ares had the advantage in that his hands were still free. He grabbed the hilt of his sword with both hands and held it over Diana. Before he could bring it down on her, she saw Bruce fly over and hit Ares in the chest. Bruce had used his boot thrusters to fire himself at Ares, but didn't fly with a lot of velocity. Ares didn't get knocked over to any extent. The god grabbed Bruce and threw him aside with all his might. He hit the ground hard and bounced a couple times. When he stopped he laid motionless.

Bruce looked dead, but Diana couldn't concentrate on him yet. He had distracted Ares just enough for her to do something. She pushed his foot aside and saw the grip on his sword had loosened. She took her lasso and looped it around the sword. She pulled it toward her and it came readily.

Ares turned his attention from Batman to her just as she attacked him with the sword. He couldn't move fast enough and put his arm out to block the blow. The sword sliced right through his arm and he howled in pain. In another swift blow Diana decapitated the god.

The body of Ares fell limp to the ground as the head bounced down the street. With Ares gone the water dome that had been surrounding them fell apart. Water rained down on Diana and soaked her. When she had brushed the water off her face she immediately ran to Bruce.

"What happened to him?" Clark asked her as he reached him at the same moment.

"He foolishly attacked a god," she told him. Diana leaned over him and looked for signs of life. She turned him on his back and looked at his old, wrinkly face, topped with grey hair. As she looked him over she saw his abdomen move, meaning he was breathing. Diana immediately let out a cry of relief.

Bruce's eyes started flickering and he began to moan as he came to. He opened his eyes and looked at Superman and Wonder Woman hovering over him. Diana was so happy to see him alive and awake she gave him a long kiss on the lips. When it was over she pressed her forehead against his and began to cry a little.

"You stupid, stupid fool," she whispered sarcastically. Despite the fact that Bruce's heroics had likely saved her, the old anger over him taking on others much more powerful than him swelled up in her. Thoughts raced through her mind of how she would have to tell their daughter about this. "You stupid, brave, heroic fool." She composed herself and began looking him over. "How badly are you hurt?"

"I have a couple of broken ribs. My left leg and left arm are broken as well. My left shoulder is a little sore, but it's in its place and my clavicle feels fine." He had suffered so many injuries over his life as a superhero he could instantly diagnose himself.

"We need to get you back to the manor," she said as she moved to pick him up.

"Hold on, Diana," Clark said as he touched her shoulder. "Let me carry him back. You've been through too much."

Diana stepped back and Clark gently picked up Bruce. He flew off in the direction of the manor and Diana followed him.

When Maril awoke she kept her eyes closed. She was afraid when she opened them she would find Rex was gone or that her night with him had been a dream. As she kept her eyes closed she listened intently to the sound of her husband breathing. It sounded like Rex to her. She rubbed her face against her husband's chest and felt the coolness of his body and the texture of his skin. The man she was with felt like Rex.

Her husband noticed she was awake and began gliding his fingers along her back. She twitched over the ticklish feeling it gave her. She let out a sigh of relief over the realization she was still with Rex.

She opened her eyes and lifted her head to see Rex's face staring at her. She smiled at him and he smiled back. She moved up, closed her eyes, and began kissing him.

They kissed for what seemed like forever. "I can't believe this is happening," she said to him when they stopped. She laid her head down next to his and began to caress his neck and shoulders.

"I don't want to ever leave this bed. A day ago I had accepted the fact I was going to spend the rest of my life in a loveless marriage. Now I know I married the love of my life. I love this feeling and I don't ever want to lose it."

Rex pushed some loose strands of hair off Maril's face. He noticed something lying on the pillow and picked up the engagement ring that was still attached to the chain around her neck.

Rex smiled looking at it. "You should wear this properly now," he said to her. "That is, as long as you don't mind taking it off for a few seconds."

"Of course not," she said with a big smile on her face. She moved to take the chain off, but he told her to stop. She complied and he reached around her neck and unclasped it. He took the ring off the chain and sat up. She sat up as well and held her hand out for him.

Maril thought back to the night Rex had proposed to her and first put the ring on her finger. She flashed back to the image of him on one knee, putting the ring on her finger. She remembered how she imagined what their life together would be like. After so many years of thinking he was dead they were finally living the life she had imagined they would have.

"The band should go on after the engagement ring," he said as he removed her wedding band. He put the engagement ring on her finger, and then put the band on after it. Maril trembled a little when he was done. She jumped on him and started kissing him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"We can't stay here forever," he reminded her as he pushed her away for a moment. "We have business to attend to."

Maril remembered she had given herself a full schedule for the morning since she thought she would have needed an excuse not to see her husband too much. She was queen, and it meant she had responsibilities. It also meant she had no one to answer to. So it really didn't matter if she just blew off everything.

"Why can't we just stay here?" she said to him as she rubbed her face against his.

"There are people outside waiting to see us. They're waiting for us to make important decisions on the future of our new nation."

"It can wait, all of it. There's no one-" Maril paused as she thought about someone they needed to see immediately. "Your mother," she said as she jumped out of bed. She hurriedly started putting on some clothes.

She looked at Rex on the bed and was puzzled why he wasn't moving. "We need to see your mother right away. She is going. . .there's no way to express how happy she is going to be to see you alive." She picked up his clothes and threw them at him.

"Get dressed now! We need to go to her!" she yelled at him. Rex didn't think he could deal with his mother at the moment. He didn't want to get dressed, but he mindlessly obeyed. When he put his clothes on he saw she was already at the door.

"Come on," she said. He got up and followed her out. For a moment he was glad she was forcing him to do this. It would be a relief to him to get this done and over with now.

Rex was apprehensive as they walked through the halls. He wasn't thinking so much about what would happen when his mother found out he was alive. He was wondering what would happen if they ran into someone they knew. Helena was the only person besides Maril who knew he was alive. He didn't want to run into anyone until he had a chance to tell his mother the truth.

Maril stopped at a door and motioned for Rex to get against the wall. "Stay hidden until I tell you its okay," she told him. She knocked on the door. "Shayera," she called. "I need to talk to you, can I come in?"

"Uh, sure, it's open," Shayera replied. Rex could hear the doubt in his mother's voice. She was likely puzzled why Maril would be seeing her now of all moments.

Maril walked in to see Shayera just stepping out of bed. "I'm sorry if I bothered you at a bad time," she said. She didn't offer to leave and come back.

"Don't worry about it," Shayera replied. "Did you come to see how I was doing the morning after? I appreciate it if you did, but I'm a little offended that you might think of me as being so fragile. I got through the ceremony without breaking down thinking you should have been marrying Rex."

Maril tried to suppress a smile. She couldn't hide her happiness over the fact Shayera was about to get the surprise of her life. She opened her mouth to speak, but realized she hadn't thought about what she should say. She stood there like an idiot with her mouth open not knowing what words were right.

Maril saw the expression on Shayera's face change to outright shock. The older woman was looking past Maril. She turned to see Rex standing behind her.

Out of the corner of her eye Maril saw Shayera start to fall. She grabbed the woman and tried to help her stand. Shayera kept her eyes fixated on her son as she tried to find the strength in her legs to stand on her own.

"It can't be. It can't be," Maril heard Shayera say in a low voice. Rex walked up to the two of them.

"It's me, Mom," he said to Shayera. He held out his arms and she grabbed them to help her stand. She stumbled towards him and reached out and stroked his cheek.

"I can't believe it," she said in her low voice.

"It's true," Rex told her.

She hugged him and pressed her face against his chest. She wrapped her hands around her back, and felt he had no wings. She moved back from him, trembling as she thought about what he must have went through. "How did you survive. . .your wings. . .how?" she had trouble getting out the question she was trying to ask.

"It was Hro Talek, he saved me mother. He cauterized my wounds before I could bleed out. I owe everything to him."

He wondered how his mother would react to the news her old lover and old enemy had saved her. There was little change in her emotional state after she received the news.

"Do they still hurt, the wounds? Do they still hurt you?"

"I haven't been able to feel them for five years," he replied.

"Can I see them?"

Silently, Rex turned around and lifted up his shirt. Shayera touched the wounds and almost broke down over the thought of the pain he must have endured in going through that torture. As she looked over his scarred back she thought back to when he was a child and would get a scrape or bruise. She would always kiss his wound and hold him tight and tell him the pain would be over soon. She felt powerless as there was nothing she could do now. She felt progressively worse as she realized he had suffered because of her mistakes.

Rex turned around and she once again embraced him in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry you had to suffer because of me," she told him. "You never deserved any of it."

Rex hugged her back and kissed the top of her head. "Don't blame yourself, mother. You didn't do any of it. And good came out of it. What happened to me turned me into the leader our people needed."

The tears stopped flowing from Shayera's eyes as Rex's words comforted her. For several minutes mother and son stood silently in their embrace.

Lash-El floated through the old workshop of Vunderbar. He looked around at all the automated robots Brainiac had assembled for building his machine. They were all powered down at the moment; Lash had made him halt production on whatever he was building.

"_This machine is a tool for us to build a world we can rule," _Lash heard Brainiac say in his head. "_It is not a mechanism for me to double cross you."_

"Then why did you keep it hidden from me? Why did you tell me there was no use for anything here and get me to stay away? The only answer I have is you are using your machines to build something that will get me out of the picture."

"_All my actions were done to keep this a secret. I know it looks bad I kept it a secret even from you, but I did it to keep it safe. If you were constantly coming here to check on the project, someone close to you might get suspicious. I could not allow that to happen."_

"So this project is a threat to everyone but me, is that what you're trying to say? Because I don't see how that's possible."

"_You will understand everything in a moment, once I simplify and condense it all so that even you can comprehend what I'm doing."_

Lash-El found Vunderbar's main computer. After they had defeated Vunderbar and taken over the complex, Brainiac had Lash upload a clone of himself to the computer. It was that clone which was controlling all the machines.

When Lash-El reached the monitor, a face of the Brainiac robot appeared on it. "Greetings Lash-El," it began. "I see that you and my clone have come here to inspect my work."

"I'm here to find out what in the fuck you're doing," Lash answered in anger. "Your counterpart in my head says this is all for my greater good and glory, but I have my doubts. You better do one hell of a job in explaining what you're doing, or I'll tear you and this entire complex to shreds."

"I'll ignore explaining how my electronic existence frees me from fear of death and being blackmailed by threats on my life to tell you what you want. The machine we are constructing is being built to create a world for us to rule. You may know that for most of his life Darkseid was looking for the anti-life equation. Few understood what it was and how it would work. The anti-life equation is the antithesis of all the physical laws of the universe that govern life. With knowledge of the full equation its secrets can be harnessed to destroy the entire physical universe and replace it with a universe of our design."

"That's what this machine is for," Lash-El said with a laugh. "You and I are going to create our own universe. That might well be good for you since you can build more copies of yourself, but I'm a little different. I have certain needs for companionship."

"Yes, as I am derived from my counterpart in you I know all about the needs you fulfill on a regular basis. Once again, you fail to understand the implications of what I am telling you. With the anti-life equation we will be able to create a universe of your choosing. We could create one that would contain all the nubile bodies you might need to fulfill your needs."

"Could we create a universe where I'm a god?" Lash-El asked.

"If you don't mind me adopting your language, yes, we could create a universe wear you are a fucking god. That is what I'm trying to do here. I have traveled the universe and studied countless cultures and societies. I know what works best and what type of universe should be built. In this universe we will be the gods, the creators everyone looks to and worships."

"So that's it. This machine your building is going to use the anti-life equation to build a new universe."

"Yes, I have discovered most of the pieces of the anti-life equation in my travels. When I uploaded into Darkseid's computers after our conquest of Apokolips I scanned every file he had and came across something very interesting. At some point during your father's time on Apokolips and his brainwashing all his memories were downloaded into the main computer. I came across one memory of your father speaking with the computer in his Fortress of Solitude. This computer is modeled after the personality of your grandfather. In this memory, the avatar of Jor-El, your grandfather, was explaining to your father how he discovered that Krypton was going to explode. He only briefly touched on and showed Kal-El what he did, but in that moment I recognized a piece of the anti-life equation I'm missing. Jor-El had discovered a piece of the anti-life equation and it allowed him to recognize what was destroying Krypton. This piece of the equation is the last part I need. With it we will be able to build our own universe."

Lash-El thought for a moment about what he had been told. Brainiac's plans for creating a universe where they would be gods was intriguing, but he couldn't stop focusing on the fact they needed something out of his father. He realized this might give him the chance to confront his father in the manner he always wanted to.

"So, what do we need to do to in order to get this last piece of the anti-life equation?" Lash asked the Brainiac in the computer.

"We need to get your father to grant us access to the computer in his fortress."

"Can't we just break into the fortress?" Lash asked.

"No, the computer will only activate for those who Superman tells it to activate for. We need him to do this for us."

An evil smile appeared on Lash-El's face. "So we go to Earth, find him, and force him to grant us access to the computer."

"That won't work with your father," Brainiac replied. "First, he has an entire league of friends that will die to protect him. Second, he cares little about his own life, but he has been greatly concerned for the lives of innocents around him. If we are going to get him to do our bidding, we need to keep his superhero friends busy. We need to put the lives of the innocents he cares about in danger and use those lives as bargaining chips to get what we want. The only way to accomplish all that is to launch a massive invasion of Earth and threaten to destroy all of Earth unless Superman gives us what we want."

"That's going to take some time to set up," Lash told Brainiac.

"We have all the time in the world. According to the information I have collected, the Justice League is paying little attention to us."


	21. Chapter 21: Heirs

**Chapter 21**

"You made the 'o' in love in the shape of a heart," Bruce said. Helena glanced up at him for a second, wondering what he was trying to get at. She went back to signing the cast on his foot as he looked over the signature on his arm cast.

"You never did anything like this when you were young. I was wondering why you are starting this kind of thing now."

She finished signing his leg cast and sat down on the couch next to his wheelchair. She looked over the set-up he had with it. It was motorized and made with the latest technology of Wayne Enterprises. The chair could fly and do most of the things Alfred did for him. Everything was controlled by a panel that was placed on his left side so he could operate it with his good hand.

"I've started realizing that because I was raised by you there are certain things I missed out on doing. I guess I'm just making up for lost time. After all, I figure I won't ever have another chance to sign a cast of yours again. Right?"

Her father stayed silent. She wasn't sure if he was angry about the whole missed childhood thing, or the questioning of whether he would ever be injured again. When he spoke he answered her question for her. "If there is one thing I've learned over my life it is you never know what might happen. There is no way to know when I might have to go back out there as Batman."

"You didn't have to go out this time, Dad. There is an entire league of superheroes the three of you could have called on for help."

"I know this city like no one else," her father replied. He stared straight ahead as he talked and didn't look at her. "I was needed. Gotham needed me. I had to keep the promise I made to my parents."

Helena walked in front of the chair and kneeled in front of her father. He was still reluctant to look at her so she grabbed his chin and held it so he had to look at her. "I want to make this clear to you. The promise you made to your parents is my promise now. Gotham is my city to watch over. You don't need to put yourself in danger any more to protect it."

She let go of his chin as she stood. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed the top of his head. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Dad. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

"Don't be like me," she heard him say softly.

"What was that?" she asked as she leaned back and placed his hands on his shoulders.

He let out a long sigh. "I hate to admit it, but you have always been right about my gumption and how that has led to my stupidity. As my daughter, I have often been afraid you have inherited the trait from me. You are powerful and have been well trained, but you can't handle everything yourself. I hope you learn to rely on others. You have a great life ahead of you."

Helena wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the head again. She rested her chin on his head as she talked to him. "I need you around for advice like this,' she told him. "Everything I am is because of you."

She leaned back and kept her hands on his shoulders as she looked him in the eye. "Now, you need to get healed and stay that way. You have to walk me down the aisle in a couple of months and you can't do that in a wheelchair. Now I'm going to go out and find Mom. She went out to ride one of the horses."

Helena walked away thinking that after she talked to her mother she should find Superman and read him the riot act for letting her father go out instead of calling in more help. Right before she was out of earshot of her father she heard him stammer something. "Wait, you and Connor. Are you-"

"Yes Dad, we set a date for the last weekend in July." She turned around to look at him. "For being the world's greatest detective it often takes you a while to figure out some things."

Helena could tell Prince was excited to be out and racing around the land that surrounded the manor. It was a moderate temperature and there was a cool breeze that kept him from feeling overheated as he exerted himself running. When they emerged from the small tree garden on the north side of the manor he neighed as if to announce himself to the empty field they were now running through.

As soon as they had burst through the trees Helena saw her mother. She had Troy stopped at the cliff overlooking the sea that was behind the manor. The sun was setting and Helena guessed that was what her mother was watching.

Helena slowed Prince to a trot as she neared her mother. She stopped a few feet from her.

"Beautiful sunset," Helena said to her mother to break the silence.

"Did you come out here to watch the sunset?" her mother asked her as she kept her gaze fixed on it.

"I think you know the answer to that," Helena replied.

Diana glanced over at her daughter. "So you did come out here to read me the riot act."

"That was the plan," she replied. "Now that I'm out here I think I should save my anger for Superman. He's not family so I can say anything I want to him."

Diana snickered at her daughter's rational for letting her off the hook. "Besides, you're probably not going to be around here much longer, and I don't want us to be mad at each other for that time," Helena added.

Diana looked over at her daughter. "Bruce didn't tell you?" she asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"Tell me what," Helena replied.

Diana went back to looking at the sunset. "I'm not going to be leaving any time soon. In fact, I won't be leaving you two ever again. Your father and I are together again, and this time we're determined not to let anything break us apart."

Diana immediately felt Helena embrace her in a hug. "I'm so happy for the two of you," she said in a soft voice as she rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "Dad wanted this so much. He never said anything, but I could tell."

"What about you?" Diana asked her daughter.

"I wanted this too. I wanted to see the both of you happy, and I knew the best way for that to happen was for you guys to get back together. Also, Dad's getting to be a handful in his old age. I needed someone to relieve me."

Diana looked at her daughter's face and could see the broad smile she had. She started giggling as she backed away from her mother. Diana was glad to see her joking around, but she brought up a subject that was a sore subject for her.

"I know I put a lot of responsibilities on your shoulders, Helena," Diana said. She looked down as she talked to her daughter. "I made you do at a young age the kinds of things I should have been doing all along. I'm sorry for that, Helena. A young girl never should have had to look after her father the way you were made to."

"It's okay, Mom," she replied. Nothing else was said between the two, as nothing else needed to be said. There were times in the past she cursed her mother for the task she had given her, but that was all in the past. She realized how important that responsibility was in making her the person she was today. She was glad it shaped her the way it did even though she was often resentful over the burden she had been given. She had a complicated view of her life. Unlike her father, the past was something she had stopped dwelling on. On Tamaran she had seen Maril and Rex throw away any bitterness they should have had over being kept separated for five years. They were too focused on the life they had ahead of them together to worry about what they might not have had in the past. Helena was trying to take the same view with her life.

"It's just about time for dinner," her mother said to her. "We should head back to the house."

Helena followed her mother back to the manor. She thought about how these family dinners were now going to be permanent. Her parents had found each other again after years adrift and alone. As Maril would say, the two of them were meant to be together. She giggled a little thinking that she must be meant to be with Connor if her commitment phobia was unable to tear them apart. Helena found it hard to believe how things were coming together for her and so many of the people she loved.

Maril woke up as the rays of the Tamaranian sun filtered in through the curtains and hit her face. She was waking up alone, as Rex was on Thanagar handling business. She would have loved to go with him, but she had business to attend to herself on Tamaran.

She laid in bed and tried to imagine Rex was with her. She closed her eyes and could feel his body pressed against her back. His strong arms were around her and his cool breath was blowing through her hair. She rolled over and nuzzled against his massive chest.

Maril was brought back to reality by the feeling of nausea and the sensation of acid coming up her esophagus. She flew to the bathroom and puked in the toilet. Her hair was so long and thick she found it impossible to hold it all back. When she was done throwing up she grabbed a towel and tried to wipe the chunks out of her hair. She wasn't upset over puking over herself because of what her morning sickness implied. She had a secret check-up with a doctor last night and was anxiously awaiting the results.

"Queen Maril," she heard the voice of Rheadr'a shouting. "Are you in here? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered as she stepped out of the bathroom. She was still wiping the puke out of her hair.

"If you don't mind me asking, madame, what happened?"

"Just a little morning sickness." Maril wiped off the last of the chunks and threw the towel back in the bathroom. "What business do I have this morning?"

Rheandr'a shuffled through her things and pulled out an electronic notepad. The girl looked at Maril's stained hair as she handed her the notepad. "I guess I should give you this first. The, uh, doctor who examined you last night sent a message."

Maril's hand trembled as she held the notepad in her hand. She couldn't bring herself to read the message just yet. "What other business is there for me right now?"

"Nothing official, just several personal messages. Rex was able to depart from Thanagar early and will arrive here around dinner time instead of late at night."

"Is there anything on my schedule for dinner?" Maril asked.

"You were supposed to dine with some union leaders," the girl answered.

"Reschedule it, it's not important." Rheandr'a made a note on her pad as Maril thought about how magical tonight could be. She really hoped she would have some big news for Rex.

"A message was relayed to us from Earth. Your father said he is still planning on coming out with the family for a visit next week. I checked with the Space Force and they are making arrangements to pick him up at the Justice League Watchtower next week. The message also said he will be in Gotham City this week babysitting a Mr. Wayne."

Maril smiled as she wondered what Helena had to do to get her father to agree to that. Maril knew Helena had a tournament on Themyscira this week and didn't want to leave her father unattended, or else he might get the crazy idea he could fight crime again.

"That is all the business I have, Your Highness. Rex's parents are in the dining hall if you want to join them for breakfast."

Maril breathed deeply as she glanced back down at the notepad. "I will take my leave now, your highness," Rheandr'a said as she bowed to her queen.

"Please, stay," Maril said to her. The girl didn't move as she came up from her bow. "Can you read the message the doctor sent me?" she asked as she handed the girl the notepad.

"Nervous about this?" Rheandr'a asked.

"Of course, for a long time I didn't think this would happen for me."

"I would imagine its stressful knowing you're expected to produce an heir."

The girl had misunderstood what Maril had meant. She didn't feel like correcting her. It was unimportant and she didn't feel the need to explain what the apparent loss of Rex had been like to her.

Maril watched the girl closely as she read the note. She saw a small smile cross the girl's lips and began to get hopeful. "Congratulations, you're going to have your heir."

Maril's heart leaped in her throat and she let out a squeal of joy. She could see Rheandr'a was trying hard to suppress a laugh. "You can laugh at me," Maril told her. "I'm not concerned about protocol or decorum right now." Rheandr'a let it out, but caught herself quickly.

"When you leave here, send a message to the chef he is to contact me ASAP. I need to plan a special dinner for my husband tonight."

"It's fine Dad," Helena said as she walked down the steps to the Batcave and found her father working on the sparring robot. She had an upcoming tournament on Themyscira she was training for. "The thing has been doing a fine job with me."

"Okay, I've made some changes that should allow it to defend some of the moves you've been using on it." He completely ignored everything she had told him. He took his seat outside the practice circle so he could watch and evaluate Helena.

For a week Gotham was going to be without Wonder Huntress to protect it. Olivia and Richie were going to watch Gotham and Bludhaven together, with Olivia concentrating on Gotham. She was going to have the unenviable task of working with Bruce, who wouldn't let anyone fight crime in his city without his approval. The two families had made a deal; the Graysons would watch both cities while Helena and Diana were on Themyscira and the Waynes would do likewise while the Grayson family was on Tamaran.

Helena and her mother both knew Bruce would be itching to get out during the week. Dick was staying with him under the pretense he might be needed as a mediator between Bruce and Dick's son and daughter-in-law. The real reason was to keep Bruce from suiting up and going on patrol himself.

Helena entered the practice circle and stood ready with her swords drawn. The sparring robot copied her stance. Her father raised his hand as he shouted 'ready.' "Go," he shouted as he brought it down.

The robots reaction time was quicker and it charged directly at Helena. It swung its swords furiously, but Helena was able to block or deflect every thrust and parry. There was only one thrust that she barely deflected, the sword struck her armor softly and she barely felt it.

The robot's quickness in its strikes did force Helena to move back to the edge of the circle. If she stepped out it would mean a victory for the robot. The robot was so fast she didn't think she could start counterattacking and force him back. She knelt down and then thrust herself up into the air. She flipped over the robot and sliced at him as she landed.

She looked at her father for his reaction. If she hadn't known better, she might have mistaken him for a statue because he moved so little after her victory. When he finally spoke it was in the same condescending tone he always used to give her instructions. "You're fortunate your blades are sharp while the robots were dull. Also, you're unlikely to be able to make a move like that against a seasoned Amazonian warrior. They will know to slash upwards and hit you as you fly over them."

"I'm surprised to see you've actually softened in your old age, Bruce." Dick had a huge grin on his face as he walked up to them with Diana trailing behind him. "Back in the day, when he was training me, he would have spent a half hour tearing me a new asshole explaining how I would have died in real combat."

"That's not even close to the truth," her father said to her. "It would have been two hours right after the fight and another half hour at breakfast the next morning. And finally another hour before we went out on patrol that night."

Everyone was unsure of how to act as they couldn't tell if Bruce was being sarcastic or not. When Bruce didn't hear any laughter he spoke up. "You guys didn't think I was being serious, did you?"

"It's always hard to tell with you, Dad," Helena said as she walked up to him. She gave him a tight hug and a long kiss on the cheek. "Mom and I should probably get going. I'm going to miss you. Please be alive when I get back."

When she was done with her father she looked at Dick. "Try not to kill each other," she instructed him. "And remember, our deal is broken if he dies."


	22. Chapter 22: The Day Before

**Chapter 22**

Maril paced nervously around the balcony. She knew Rex would be ecstatic about her pregnancy, yet she was still nervous about telling him. She couldn't explain why she was feeling this way. She was beginning to understand why Rex had been so nervous when he proposed to her; despite the fact it was a sure thing.

"Rheandr'a," she called. The young girl came running out on to the balcony yet again.

The girl had the drill down pat by now. "I've checked with the chef and dinner is ready to go whenever Rex comes by. His shuttle landed a half hour ago, but a Thanagarian delegation that had come over here to talk trade with local politicians accosted him and he is still held up there as far as I know. I have the datapad in my hot little hand and I am ready to interrupt you shortly after he arrives. And I think I see him flying here right now."

"Go," Maril yelled at the young girl. Rheandr'a didn't need coaxing as she was already on her way inside.

Maril looked up at the night sky and saw the moonlight reflecting off her husband's armor as he flew towards her. When he reached the balcony he curved his flight path upward, stopped, and then floated down to the surface.

His armor peeled back from his body as Maril ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. They started kissing before either of them said a word.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Rex told her as they stopped kissing for a moment. "I was held by some Thanagarians who wanted to discuss business. I was so close to killing them so I could make it here and be with you."

Maril smiled weakly as Rex kissed her forehead and started working his way down to her lips. Hearing his anger over being detained on business, she started having second thoughts about the little ruse she had put in place.

"Queen Maril," Rheandr'a said. Rex let out a loud sigh as he saw the servant walk up to them.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt you, your highness, but I have some urgent business I need to go over with you."

Maril could hear her husband breathing heavily through his nostrils. She knew he was angered by the interruption. She looked between Rheandr'a and Rex.

"Is it anything that critical?" she asked the girl. "I mean, if you just leave your datapad with me, maybe my husband and I could go over it in private."

Rheandr'a looked skeptical about what Maril was asking, just as Maril had instructed her to do. She handed the datapad over without saying a word. Maril and Rex waited to speak until she was out of earshot.

"I thought we were supposed to be the all-powerful rulers, yet everyone seems to think they can command us around if they have business," Rex said. Maril giggled at her husband's joke as she stared at the datapad screen. She saw his hand reach for it and reflexively yanked it away from him, out of his reach.

"Let me toss it over the side," he pleaded with her.

"We can't do that," she protested. "We have certain responsibilities and we need to make sure they're fulfilled. There are just a few things to go over and then we will have the entire night free."

"At least until someone wants us to settle a dispute their children are having," Rex said under his breath.

"Item 1," Maril began. "The unification commission is trying to make a new flag for our nation and they want us to decide on the colors of it."

Rex rolled his eyes. "Is this really important?"

"They're meeting tomorrow to begin the discussions and they need an answer on this."

"I don't know. You pick the colors." Maril had already picked the colors herself earlier as she knew Rex wouldn't care about them at all.

Maril acted like she was thinking hard about it. "Let's see, the old Thanagarian flag had gold, red, and green on it. The Tamaranian flag has red, purple, and pink on it. Why don't we take purple for Tamaran, green for Thanagar, and red for both nations?"

"Sounds great," Rex said with a hint of sarcasm. "Let's go with that, what's next."

Maril looked back at the datapad even though she knew what the next item was. "The commission wants to declare a date a holiday for celebrating the unification on a yearly basis. We need to select the date."

"I guess our wedding day was when things became official, how about that?"

"Think about all the official functions we will have to do on that day. Do you really want to do all that stuff on our anniversary?"

"Good point. Why don't we make the holiday the day the commission finally finishes all its bullshit."

"I think that we will be good enough for now," she replied. She took a deep breath as she looked back at the datapad. "Wow, the last item is actually a doozy. It might take up some time."

Rex let out an angered sigh. "What is it?"

"We need to draft a statement announcing to the public we will be producing an heir to the throne."

Rex immediately seemed puzzled by what she said. "Are you trying to say what I think you're trying to say?"

"Yes, I'm pregnant." Rex rushed at her, swept her up in his arms, and started kissing her.

"So that announcement shit was just a joke, right?"

"Of course," Maril said with a giggle before she went back to kissing her husband.

Rex broke off the kiss. "How many people know?"

"Besides us, the doctor and Rheandr'a. I told your parents without you. I'm sorry about that. I was just so excited and had to tell someone and I was having breakfast with them and after everything they've been through I knew they would be so excited and I know-"

Rex silenced her by holding a finger to her lips. "It's okay," he said. "Did you contact your father?"

"No, I was going to wait to tell all of them until they visit next week. I want to be able to tell my father the news in person."

Lash-El floated high above the ground, scanning the legions of troops that were lined up for inspection. He was amazed at the number of troops and tanks below him. When he had conquered Apokolips he had paid little attention to the number of forces he had gained under his control. Seeing them now made him beam with pride over what he had accomplished.

He looked at the skies around him. Floating all around him were gunships, fighters, and troop transports. These ships, in addition to his ground troops and tanks made his forces appear invincible.

Lash-El floated back to the new palace he was building. When Lash-El found out he was going to be a god he figured he would need a palace worthy of a deity. Brainiac had been upset over the diversion of resources to something it deemed unnecessary, but there was nothing he could do about it. Brainiac kept telling him his construction was causing delays with the machine, but Lash didn't see why there was any need to worry. There was no force in the world that could stop them.

Lash hovered above it and admired the handiwork of his slaves. They were doing a much better job than he had believed they would be able to. The promise of a better life in his new world was actually inspiring. He felt a slight pang of regret over the fact all their hopes would be dashed when they found out he was never going to free them like he promised.

The one disappointment he had was with the slow pace of the statue he was building of himself. He had admired the statue Darkseid had constructed and wanted one just like it. Unforunately, and unbeknownst to him at the time, he had executed all the artisans that had crafted it. The men he put on the job were doing the best they could, but so far the only progress they had made was to construct the wire frame that would serve as his body.

Lash descended into the palace through the open, unfinished roof and walked to his throne room. The great hall was of simple construction. He didn't need fancy architecture to convey any message about himself or his empire. Any message he might have wanted to send was conveyed by the hundreds of heads on pikes that lined the walls of his throne room.

Lash-El was quite obsessive about keeping souvenirs of every warlord he defeated and every underling of his who tried to betray him. He thought they would send a powerful message of the cost of opposing him, yet people still risked the consequences to try and overthrow him. Lash-El scanned the heads along the walls quickly, and then turned his attention to the two heads that flanked his throne.

He walked up to the one on the left and stared at the face of Guillotina. She had thought a place in his bed gave her power. When she started trying to wield it, Lash became concerned she might be trying to consolidate power to overthrow him. Up until her last breath, she had denied ever having any desire to oppose him. She told him she loved him, but he knew it was all lies.

He turned his attention away from her and towards the head of his mother on the other side of the throne. The look on her face was a look of serenity. It seemed a fitting look to be frozen on her face in death. When the two of them started taking over Apokolips they clashed over everything. His mother constantly belittled him and told him he would have been nothing without her. She believed this despite the fact he had a hundred times the power she did. One day he finally snapped, held her up against a wall and used his heat vision on her neck to burn her head off her body.

As Lash remembered the screams that were his mother's final words he walked down the stairs and observed the unused pike that was being reserved for his father's head. Brainiac was telling him constantly killing Superman was never part of the plan. They were going to need him to grant him access to the computer in the Fortress. After that Brainiac didn't want him to risk anything by trying to kill his father. Lash grinned as he thought about the computer's naivety. There was no way killing his father would be difficult for a being like him.

"My master," a female voice called to him. He turned to see the female furies walking up to him.

After several purges of the insolent members of the group, he was left with an inexperienced but extremely loyal group of young girls. While they didn't have the raw skill the previous group did, there viciousness and willingness to do anything for their master made them just as dangerous.

The four young women kneeled before him as Zana, the leader of the group, spoke to him. "All the soldiers are on the way to their encampments," she said as she kept her eyes averted. "Our great victory shall commence in the morning."

He held her chin and gently guided her head so she was looking at him. "You have done well," he told her. "You have all done well." The rest of the girls understood the cue and looked up at him with longing in their eyes.

"Wait for me in my bed," he commanded them. "And don't fight for position; there is enough of me for all of you." The girls ran off squealing.

Rex rubbed his hand along Maril's bare stomach. She simply laid back and enjoyed the afterglow along with the sensation of Rex's touch. Rex started kissing her neck and then worked his way along her face. Maril closed her eyes and merely enjoyed the feeling. He kissed her on the forehead and then laid down next to her as he continued to rub her stomach. Maril placed her hand over his.

"It's going to be a while until we'll be able to feel anything, or until I get a bump," she said to him.

"I can't wait for that day," he said.

"Neither can I," she replied as she grinned. She laid her head back on her pillow. "I can't wait to tell my family," she exclaimed. "My father is going to be so happy for us. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the week keeping the secret."

"Just think about seeing the joy on his face in person, and not on some video screen," Rex told her.

"That's a good one," she said as she leaned in and kissed him. "I'm going to have to tell Helena over a viewscreen. I really wish I could do it in person." She stared down at her stomach as she thought a little more.

"There are times I really miss being away from Earth," she admitted. "There are so many people I wish I could see more. There is just so much to do here I'm afraid it might be years before we make it back."

"We are the royal rulers, you know," Rex told her. "We should be able to tell others we are going to Earth and they will just have to deal with it."

"Really?" Maril said with a questioning look. "I don't know if I can be quite that assertive."

"I had to be that assertive on Thanagar," he told her. "Let me deal with everyone."

"That is why I love you so much," she said as she kissed him again. She rested her head against his as she turned on her side and snuggled up against him. "I can't believe we're living the life we always wanted."

She let out a loud yawn. "You know, I still get a little nervous going to sleep," she admitted to him.

"Why is that?" he asked her.

"I can't believe how things have worked out for us. I just feel every night before I go to bed that the next day when I wake up, something is going to happen that will destroy us."


	23. Chapter 23: Invasion

**Chapter 23**

Artemis used her two swords brilliantly against Helena. She would rush at Helena and make a thrust with one sword that Helena would have to parry away. That move would buy her time to bring her other sword down in a broad sweep Helena would have to deflect. While she was deflecting that attack, Artemis would make a quick jab with the other sword again that Helena would have to sidestep.

Helena was suffering the handicap of one less sword because of a foul she had committed. She had stepped outside the battle square and this resulted in a penalty of the other fighter's choosing. Artemis chose for Helena to have one of her swords taken away.

Helena had known Artemis would ask for one of her swords to be taken away. She had planned on this. The fight had started with the two of them dueling to one stalemate after another. With each of them having two swords, they could easily block each other's moves. Helena knew she had to change the conditions of the fight in order to win, even if it meant giving Artemis what she thought was an advantage. She knowingly stepped out so she would lose one of her swords.

Her father had always instructed her to study her opponent and use whatever she could to her advantage. She knew if Helena had to fight one sword down Artemis would get overconfident. She also knew with Artemis' fighting style, Helena would be able to take advantage of the situation and execute an effective counterattack.

Artemis' attacks against Helena were forceful and Helena had to work to avoid her attacks. She was able to dodge everything she couldn't block with her one sword. After several bouts like this, Artemis tried something different. She made two attacks with the first sword that forced Helena to block them so that her sword was on the right side of her body. Artemis then made a broad sweep coming at Helena from the other side.

Helena knew she couldn't block the attack in time, but she did manage to crouch and duck just as the sword sailed over her. While Helena hit the ground she was able to sweep her sword at the legs of Artemis. This tripped the girl and she fell to the ground. As she fell to the ground Helena kicked one of the swords out of the woman's hand.

Helena got up off the ground quickly and stepped on the hand of Artemis that was holding the other sword. Helena then put her other armored foot on the woman's chest and held the sword to her throat.

"Over," Helena heard her grandmother shout. She stepped off Artemis and looked up at the Queen's Box to see Hippolyta in it with her mother. "Helena wins," she said with a smile.

Helena held out a hand to Artemis and the woman took it. Helena pulled her up. "You fight well, young one," she said to Helena. "I find it hard to believe a man could have taught you so much."

Helena was going to stick up for her father and explain what kind of fighter he was, but she was stopped by a piercing and irritating noise that filled the arena. Helena didn't know what it was initially. When she looked to her grandmother's box and saw her mother was gone, she realized the sound was the alarm being sent out by their Justice League communicators. Helena ran up the stands of the arena and jumped out and ran to the palace where the two of them had left them.

Helena reached Hippolyta's palace and ran to her room. When the communicator was in her hand it stopped its loud buzzing. When it was in her ear she listened in on the chatter going out through the League's communications channels. J'onn J'onnz was barking out instructions to everyone in the League. He was telling them all to mobilize as there was a massive invasion from Apokolips taking place. He told them there were so many reports of attacks he wouldn't be able to coordinate a response properly. The Apokolips forces were everywhere and it wouldn't be difficult for the superheroes to find them.

Static started coming through the communications equipment as J'onn stated the the League's communication satellites were being attacked. According to his scanners several ships were making their way to the Moon Watchtower itself. The feed cut out before he could say any more.

Helena knew instantly the League's communications had been taken out. She had never faced the forces of Apokolips herself, but knew how powerful and terrifying they could be. What surprised her about their attack on the League's communications is they had never been this well-coordinated before. Whoever was leading them knew what they were doing in ways none of the previous leaders of Apokolips did.

"Mom!" Helena shouted as she ran out of her room. "Mom!" she shouted again as she ran to her mother's room. Helena had a feeling all the major cities would be attacked first. Gotham would most definitely be one of them.

When Helena reached her mother's door she saw her changing into her superhero costume. "Mom, we have to get to Gotham," she yelled as her mother finally looked around at her.

"I know, dear," her mother replied. "Get your costume on while I round up the Amazons. Meet me at the jet when you're done."

For once, Helena followed her mother's orders with no complaint. She ran to her room and threw off her Amazonian armor. She opened the bag with her costume in it and spilled its contents on the floor. She quickly put everything on, grabbed her crossbow, and ran out to the field where the invisible jet was parked. She could see the Amazonian warriors marching in formation into the jet's hull. She squeezed between them into the jet, made her way to the cockpit, and took the co-pilot's seat next to her mother.

Diana closed the cockpit and activated the repulsor lifts as the jet ascended from the ground. As it flew away from Themyscira, Helena checked the ship's communication record. Her mother had set it to record all League communications for them. She scanned through it and found the attacks had started just minutes before the communications had been knocked out. This invasion was very well coordinated.

Helena listened to the first message J'onn had sent out. She was surprised to find it had not been addressed to the League, but to all nearby star systems that could afford to send help. He had recognized almost instantly how large and dangerous this invasion was and felt the League couldn't handle it on its own. She hoped he would be proven wrong. She thought about Maril and Rex receiving this message and wondered what they would do. Helena knew their nation was in a vulnerable spot, but she believed they would still come to the rescue of their home.

Helena didn't find much on what cities were being attacked in the League communications. She started scanning the major news feeds and found all major cities of the world were being attacked. This included Gotham and Bludhaven.

"Gotham's under attack," she said to her mother. "It's mostly aerial right now, but tanks are coming through the boomtubes on the mainland. It won't take them long to cross the bridges into the city. I think they're too afraid to land their tanks directly in the city as they don't want to come through in the middle of an office building. Boom tubes aren't perfectly exact. It's some good news. We can divide and conquer. Take out the aerial assault vehicles first, and then go for the tanks."

"It looks like there are other places you may be needed more than Gotham," Helena told her mother as she continued looking through the news feeds. "A huge force is being built up in Kansas. It looks like they are trying to establish a base from which to launch their major attack. Most of the superheroes are probably tied up defending their home cities." Helena looked over at her mother. "It looks like the Amazons are needed there more than they would be needed in Gotham. Drop me off over the city and then head to Kansas. I can defend Gotham myself."

Diana sighed over what she heard. She knew her daughter was right, but didn't like the idea of leaving Helena all by herself. "I can give you a couple warriors," she began.

"Won't need them," Helena assured her. "They don't know Gotham very well. They'll be just as confused in the city as the attackers. I don't want to have to worry about showing them around. I can move around the city in stealth much better by myself. Also, I won't be alone. You and I both know my old man isn't exactly watching this on television at home."

"On the computer all ready," Dick yelled to Bruce as he walked down the steps to the Batcave. "The criminals don't come out for another couple of hours."

"It's never too early to start scanning the police reports from the previous night; see who was arrested, look for patterns in the crimes committed over the past week."

Dick walked up to the computer and stood looking over Bruce's shoulder, just as he used to when he was Robin. "I always said you were going to die in this chair."

"Actually, I plan on dying in bed with a beautiful and younger looking woman on top of me," Bruce replied.

"Holy shit, Batman," Dick exclaimed. "Did you just make a joke there? I think that just might be the first one I ever heard you make."

"I'm sure there was at least one more," Bruce said.

"And another one, you're on a real roll tonight. Could it be that with a beautiful wife and a grown-up and successful daughter who's about to get married, the King of Brooding is finally happy?"

A smirk crossed Bruce's lips; he did his best to hide it. "I thought you never believed I was capable of such an emotion?"

"At times I did, but I was wrong and I admit it. The same thing goes for all the times I said you never wanted to see me happy. I apologize."

"I already heard your apology," Bruce said to him.

Dick was puzzled by what Bruce said. "I don't remember ever giving you an apology."

"You didn't, Helena relayed to me that you told Maril you owed me several apologies."

Dick smirked over the actions of their daughters. "It's always amazed me how those two have managed to have the kind of friendship we were never able to achieve."

The two of them were interrupted by an alarm on the Batcomputer. Bruce started punching the keyboard to see what was happening and found the Emergency Broadcast System had been activated. He brought up all the local channels and every one was carrying the news of an invasion from Apokolips. While Gotham was being hit by air forces, the ground forces were amassing on the shore off the mainland in anticipation of crossing the bridges into Gotham.

It wasn't long before the Justice League's emergency system went off. Bruce and Dick listened to all the messages given out by J'onn. It wasn't long before his communications were cut off.

Without saying anything to Dick, Bruce ran to the uniform room. While he was in there Dick took a seat and called up his family.

"We heard the news Dad," Richie said to him after he contacted him. "Olivia and I are heading out. The ground forces are on the edge of Bludhaven already. We have to move fast. I'm grabbing the twins first, Oracle's in her position in the clock tower."

"Put this on," Bruce said to Dick as he threw a Batman uniform on his lap.

"Are you nuts?" Dick said as he looked over at Bruce getting into his suit.

"It doesn't matter if we both go out dressed as Batman," Bruce answered. "No one is going to be hurt by any confusion it might cause."

"You know that is not even close to what I mean," he said angrily as he stood. "We are too old to do this. It would practically be suicide for us to fight these kinds of forces. Your daughter is going to find her way back here. She WILL protect this city."

"But she won't be able to save everyone. That is my concern. I know we can't do much to repel these forces, but we can save a couple innocents from dying. We have to do this. The need of the many-"

"Outweigh the needs of the few. Yeah, I saw that movie too."

"Dick, Dick, are you there?" came Barbara's voice over the computer speaker. Dick was relieved to hear his wife's voice and ran over to the computer to answer her.

"I'm here, dear."

"Richie flew up here with the twins and dropped them off a second ago. I wanted you to know the three of us are safe in the clock tower."

Dick was relieved to know his young children were currently safe, but immediately started feeling guilty about it. He knew not everyone had superheroes in their families to save their loved ones. Bruce was right, if they had they ability to save just one person they had to go out there and take the chance.

"Bruce and I are going out there, honey," he said to his wife in a heavy voice.

"I understand," she said in an equally heavy voice. "Stay in contact with me. I'll feed you whatever information I can."

"These new suits you designed better be as good as you claim," Dick said as he put his on.

"They are. I went up against a god and goddess a couple months ago in one."

"From what I heard you were nearly in a body cast after that."

"I survived, didn't I? Now let's get out there."

"Look at that tee shot!" Oliver Queen yelled to his two sons behind him as he watched the trajectory of the golf ball he hit. "I'm guessing the distance I got on that is what, better than twice that of the golf balls you guys hit."

"Just because you've been playing this game twice as long as we have doesn't mean you have to constantly remind us about it," Ted said to his father.

"Would telling you guys I should take one cart and the two of you the other since my ball is much farther-"

"Yes, it would be unnecessary," Connor answered without waiting for his father to finish.

"Okay then, I'll just get in my cart and go then." He took off before the two boys had even sat down in theirs.

"Why do we play golf with him again?" Ted asked his brother as they both got into the cart.

"Because it's important for us to spend time together as a family. I'm going to be married soon, so who knows how much time we will have for this kind of thing then."

"You kind of have a depressing view of marriage," Ted said to him. "When I give my best man speech should I mention how it's going to be hard for you to spend time with the rest of your family?"

"You're taking what I said out of proportion. What I meant was-"

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of an enormous eruption in the sky above them. They both looked up to see a ship flying out of a boom tube.

"Are we being invaded?" Ted asked his brother.

"We have to assume so," Connor said as he directed the golf cart in the direction their father had gone. "We need to find Dad, get him to safety, then suit up and fight."

Maril smiled as Rex kissed the wet skin of her neck. The shower water hit Rex's shoulder and then rolled down onto her body. He pushed her up against the shower wall and pressed his body against hers as they kissed. They stopped when they heard a knock on the door. They stayed silent as they were both too annoyed to say anything. Their role as royals was once again intruding on their personal life, and at a very intimate time.

The knock came again, but this time was followed by a voice. "Queen Maril," the voice of Rheandr'a said. "I am so sorry to interrupt you now, but I have some extremely critical news."

"This better be good," Rex said softly as he started to move out of the shower.

"Hold on," his wife told him. "Can you just tell us what the message is?" Maril shouted to her servant.

"I can do you one better and play the message we received," Rheand'r replied. In a second they heard the voice of J'onn J'onnz. They both nearly collapsed in horror as they heard about the invasion that was occurring on their home planet.


	24. Chapter 24: Assembly

**Chapter 24**

"We're very close to Gotham," Helena's mother informed her.

"I'm detecting a boom tube opening over the water on the scanners," Helena said as she surveyed the ship's console. "Something is flying out of it that the computer doesn't recognize. It appears to be a swarm of large, robotic insects."

"I don't remember ever fighting anything like that before," her mother told her. "It must be something new one of the warlords developed."

"I can see what they are as I ride them into Gotham," Helena told her mother. Without saying anything more as a good-bye she activated her ejection seat and flew up and out of the jet. She felt the jet fly away below her as she ascended. She unbuckled herself and kicked the chair away when she reached her apex. As she fell back to Earth she rolled herself over so she fell head first and brought her arms close to her body to lessen the air resistance.

She fell through the clouds and could see the swarm of robotic insects she was heading towards. When she first spotted them they looked like tiny ants over the blue water. They quickly grew in size as she fell at terminal velocity. When she was right above them she fired an exploding arrow at one to her right. It hit the robot and he fell like an old plane that had been shot down.

As she fell past another one she shot a net arrow at one to her left. The net encircled the robot. Helena held on to the rope that extended from the net. As her weight pulled against the robot it wavered, but kept flying straight. Helena's momentum caused her to loop under the robot and fly back up. She let go of the rope and allowed her momentum to carry her over to another robot insect.

She landed on top of it and while it wavered, it, too, was able to keep flying. She pulled a wing off of it and threw it at another robot. The wing sliced the robot in two and both pieces fell to the water below. With just one wing, the insect she was riding began to descend. She jumped off it, with the force of her push off sending it spiraling down faster into the water.

She landed on another insect and tore its head off immediately. With no head to guide it the thing started flying erratically down. Helena found the last robot left intact; it was the one she had fired the net around. The net still encompassed the insect and it was losing altitude as it had trouble flying that way. Helena pushed off from the headless insect she was on and grabbed the end of the rope still attached to the net. She watched as the robot she had just been on plunged to the water below.

With her weight added to the net the insect had even more difficulty flying. It started descending slowly as they headed for the Gotham docks. They flew over a crane and Helena let go of the rope and fell on the crane. Helena watched as the insect continued to descend uncontrollably until it crashed nearby. It looked to be out of commission so Helena ignored it.

She got a running start on the crane and jumped the long distance to the nearest roof. She jumped from one roof to another until she reached inner Gotham. She jumped up to the first high rise and jumped from one roof to another.

She stopped a short ways in as she saw the airships of Apokolips flying over the city. She crouched low next to a large air duct so she wouldn't be conspicuous. She watched the airships closely, but couldn't find any pattern in how they flew or any area where they were congregating. She moved to the edge of the roof and scanned the street below and didn't see anything more than a few parademons walking around. So far, there was little fighting taking place. She wondered where her father and Dick were.

She tried to reach them on the comlink, but there was nothing out of any of them. She figured they had to be fending off the forces somewhere, and once again looked out to see if there was any particular spot the airships were converging. She figured they would be going all out against her father and Dick if they knew where they were.

Helena thought she heard a jet engine behind her and turned to see an airship coming into view as it ascended over the building. Helena had just enough time to jump up as the ship fired at the spot she had been. The explosion helped push her up in the air a little more before she started falling to the street below with a bunch of debris from the building's roof.

As Helena fell she was at a loss to explain how the ship had found her. There was no way those ships could have spotted her. She tried to think of how they could have known her location. She remembered how they had targeted the communication satellites. She knew if they had hacked one before they destroyed it, they would have gotten the information they needed to track every League member through their communications. She quickly pulled the device out of her ear and crushed it.

She pulled out her crossbow and would have fired a grappling arrow at something nearby, but she saw several ships flying towards her and firing their guns. She didn't have time to fire the arrow as she needed to use her gauntlets to deflect the bolts. Most of them missed, but the ones that hit her gauntlets were so powerful they singed her arms.

When she hit the ground she formed a huge concrete crater. Oblivious to the pain, she jumped up right away and ran as fast as she could to avoid the laser blasts. She holstered her crossbow as she ran to the cars lined up against the street. Laser blasts erupted all around her.

The first car she reached she tossed straight up and behind her to act as a shield. Several laser blasts hit it and tore it to shreds, but it served its purpose and gave Helena the time she needed to grab another car and hurtle it at the ships. It swiped one gunship and sent it spinning into another one. Both ended up being damaged so badly they couldn't fly and fell to the ground. She tossed another car and it hit a ship square in the center and sent it flying back into a building.

There was one gunship left and the blasts it fired forced Helena away from the cars. The closest object to her she could use as a weapon was a lamp post. She tore it out of the ground and tossed it like a javelin at the ship. It tore through the center and the debris fell to Earth.

All the gunships that had attacked her were eliminated, but as she kept her eyes focused on the sky she saw three large battleships converging on her position. She saw the smaller gunships flying out of the larger ones. As they began to descend she realized there were too many for even her to take out. While she hated the idea of having to run and hide, she knew there was nothing else she could do right now.

Helena ran to the nearest manhole cover and tore it off. The gunships started firing at her as she fell down the hole. Debris followed her down, but luckily the gunships weren't in position to fire straight down the hole.

She landed in shallow water and immediately started walking swiftly. She had no idea if they would send parademons after her, but she certainly saw no reason to hang around and find out. Her body still ached all over from the fall she took, but the pain was quickly subsiding. There was little light in the sewers, but it didn't matter. One of the first things her father did when she went to live with him was he revealed the secret base he had built in the sewers of Gotham. It was practically a second Batcave and was connected to the first by a tunnel that could be traveled by a high speed train car.

He taught her the layout of the sewers and showed her how she could easily reach it from any point in the city. He trained her by having her walk the sewers blindfolded so she would learn her way through sound and feeling instead of by sight.

The training was paying off now as Helena was working her way through the sewers by feeling her way along the walls. She stopped every so often to listen hard and see if she was being followed. She never heard anything so she was reasonably confident she was alone.

When she reached the area where the secret door was located she remained silent and listened for any signs someone else was around. She heard nothing so she reached up and activated the door. A large block of cement moved away from the wall and Helena slid behind it before it closed again.

The cement block was just the first door. The second door was a large metal safe door. Bruce never told anyone the combination, he was so paranoid. He always trusted his proteges to be able to use safecracking techniques to open the door. Helena listened for the clicks of the locking mechanism as she turned the knob. She got the door open and entered the dimly lit hideout.

Her father was at the computer console. She could see the video feed for the door outside and knew her father had been watching her enter. "Take your communicator out and destroy it," he said without looking back at her. "They can track us through them."

"I know," she replied as she walked next to him.

"Dick and I found out the hard way." He looked over at her scorched and debris covered body. "I guess you did as well. These forces are much more cunning than any force from Apokolips we've ever faced. "Before we realized what they were doing and destroyed our communicators we heard the clock tower get attacked and taken off line. They hit Bludhaven hard. Richie contacted us; he said he was in hiding. It was a matter of seconds before he yelled they were on top of him. The only way he could have been found like that was if they located him through his communicator. That was when we figured out everything. We tried to send out a warning, but we knew practically no one would be in range without the satellites."

Her father's voice was amazingly calm as he told her what happened. She knew he was truly feeling scared and horrified, but was doing a wonderful job of suppressing it. She still got angry at him for showing no emotion. "You said our communications were supposed to be undetectable," Helena yelled at her father in order to release that anger. She knew exactly how the invaders had pulled it off, but she still felt the need to yell at him.

"Nothing's foolproof," he replied. "Particularly to someone with the right intelligence and breath of knowledge."

Helena didn't think much about what her father had just said. She was too preoccupied with other things.

"What did you two do? How did you end up here, and where's Dick?"

Her father looked extremely dejected as he hung his head. "We fought the parademons, but they were uninterested in us. They seemed to care little about actually establishing control in the city. The thought occurred to me they were after something specific. They were waiting on you. They knew this was your city."

Helena fell silent. Even though she couldn't have known what would have happened, she felt bad about having been away from Gotham. She didn't know why she was being hunted, but she was thinking about going out and giving them what they wanted.

"Where is your mother, by the way?" her father asked her.

"From what I found it looked like the forces were trying to establish a base in Kansas," Helena replied. "Mom took the Amazon warriors and flew out there."

Her father punched the computer. "That's probably what they want."

"Why do you think that?" she asked him.

"Dick and I came back here to try and get a read on the situation. All the news networks are broadcasting everything. Whoever is leading this wants the public to see everything. They've avoided all the major military bases and have concentrated all their forces on the cities where superheroes operate. They probably realize with the superheroes out of the picture there won't be a lot of will to fight them. I believe the captured superheroes are being held at this base in Kansas. In each city with a superhero, shortly after they are reported to be captured a ship takes off and flies to the base in Kansas. I've been able to follow them on some of the Wayne satellites."

The computer in the hideout ran on old fashioned cable connections with the Wayne building it was built under. "Luckily they're not recognizing what we're doing as superhero communications."

"Any news on what is happening in Kansas?" Helena asked as she was anxious about her mother.

"No real news. There is no indication any of their operations there have been disrupted, which isn't exactly good news."

Helena was disheartened by the news, but felt her mother would be able to do something. "Where is Dick?" she asked. "You never answered that question.

Her father sighed heavily. "He took the rail car back to the Batcave so he could grab the boat. He needed to go to Bludhaven so he could check on his family."

Helena knew there couldn't be much chance of his mission succeeding. "Any word from him?" Helena asked without realizing he couldn't have contacted him. "Sorry, I forgot. How bad is it in Bludhaven?"

"A ship that probably contained Richie and Olivia left a while ago. Tanks started moving into the city to occupy it after that ship disappeared."

"What about the tanks outside Gotham?" Helena asked as she started punching up the local news on the computer. "The tanks are just starting to cross the bridges," she exclaimed. "I can still stop them."

"How are you going to do that?" her father asked as she ran to the elevator that could take her up to Wayne Tower.

She stopped in front of the elevator as the door opened. "If I can commandeer a gunship I can take out the bridges," she told him. "I know it will be a lot of property damage, but it's the best way to try and save lives."

"And what are you going to do after the bridges are down and every ship is chasing you?" he asked her. As she looked at her father's face she saw a look of concern she hadn't seen before. Her father had always seen her as invincible, but now she sensed doubt out of him about that. He was worried about her in ways he hadn't been before. "I came down here to try and find out what the situation was and formulate a plan. We can't move until we know more and have a plan in place. We may be the only two superheroes left."

What her father said made sense to Helena, but she just couldn't give up the city like that. She was shocked he was willing to let it fall. She thought about the promise they had to his parents and felt she just couldn't give up the city.

"We can't keep the forces away for long," her father said. "There's no telling how long it will take to free everyone and repel the invaders."

Helena was going to do as her father wanted, but then she thought about a communication she had found on the jet. "J'onn got a message out to the nearby star systems, didn't he?" she asked.

"Yes, I came across it," her father answered, puzzled.

"Maril and Rex had to have gotten it," she said to him, excited. "They can make it here in a day. If we can keep the city safe that long we will have the reinforcements we need to repel the invaders."

Helena ran into the elevator. Her father yelled after her as she did so. "You can't count on them to come like that. Bringing their army here would be an enormous undertaking and leave them susceptible to an attack by the Gordanians."

"They'll come here, Dad. I know it," she yelled back at him as the elevator doors closed.

Maril flew around the city, checking on one thing after another for the military's departure. After much work by both her and Rex, the troops appeared to be boarding their transports in order. The loading of supplies on the other hand, was facing some difficulties.

"Where are you taking those supplies?" she asked the driver of a hovercart loaded with boxes.

"To the main transport," he answered.

"There are more than enough supplies being loaded there. Take that to the group of ships that have amassed around the reflecting pool."

Without argument, the private turned the ship around and flew it to the reflecting pool. Maril looked around at everything buzzing around the city and hoped they could make it to Earth in time to save it. Right now the plan was to leave within an hour and start the day long journey to Earth.

Maril flew back to the palace to check on Rex and his parents. Earlier the two of them had been fighting with the military leaders on Thanagar. They were reluctant to let their forces travel to Earth and leave the planet vulnerable to Gordanian attack. Rex and Maril assured them the Gordanians would not be able to pull together a significant force in a short amount of time. They also made a compromise with the military generals on Thanagar. In order to lessen the time they would be away they would travel directly to Earth themselves, instead of to Tamaran first and then Earth. Having to rendezvous in Earth orbit would complicate their attack, but Rex and Maril were willing to take that risk.

Maril entered the palace through an open window and flew around the halls until she found Rex with his parents in the Great Hall. She landed on the ground and listened as he spoke to the generals present. There were several holographic images representing the generals who were on Thanagar. Rex was explaining to them his plans for the defense of Thanagar should the Gordanians attack in their absence. He was explaining to them that Shayera and John would be in charge in the absence of the royals. From the body language of those assembled there appeared to be little opposition to the arrangement.

Rex dismissed them and the holographic images immediately disappeared. The generals who were physically there started filing out of the room. They all seemed content with the way things were.

Rex didn't pay attention to the generals as they left as he started conversing with his parents. He seemed to be arguing with his father about the gun he had been given. When she moved closer she was able to hear what the discussion was about.

"I would be a lot more comfortable with my old M-16," Rex's father told his son. "It can kill people just as good as a laser blast."

"If you're willing to go down to the museum of Ancient History here and pull out the machine gun they have on display and see if it still works, go ahead and be my guest. Other than that, you better learn how to use this gun."

Both Maril and Shayera snickered over the conversation the two had. "Fine, I'll use the laser," John said as he relented. He looked over at Maril as he took the blaster back from his son. "I saw you snickering at me," he said with a smile to Maril. "You should know we can't all be blessed with the ability to fire lasers with our hands."

Maril smiled over her father-in-law's joke. "I'm sorry I can't lone you my hands. Maybe once the baby comes you can use it as your laser blaster."

John got a good laugh over Maril's joke, but Shayera appeared bothered by what she said. She had spoken to Rex in private about Maril going to Earth to fight while pregnant. She felt they were putting their future child in harm's way. Rex had told her how important it was for Maril to save her family, but Shayera replied they could still be saved without Maril going.

Maril wanted to tell her mother-in-law what kind of hell she was going through worrying about her family. She knew Shayera would understand given everything she went through with Rex. However, Maril knew Shayera would point out she was causing worry for them and her child by putting herself in harm's way. The conversation Maril imagined was one she knew they probably shouldn't have. Maril was going to Earth and that was final. She knew the risks and nothing would change her mind.

"I think we should go and get ready for the journey to Thanagar," John said as he started walking out of the Great Hall. Shayera stood unmoved and John motioned to her. "Honey," he said, simply. She took the hint and followed him out of the hall.

When Rex and Maril were alone Rex walked over and embraced his wife. She put her head as his shoulder as he held her tight. "One hour and we will be on our way," he said to her. "One more day and our friends and family will be safe with us."

"I can't stop thinking about them," she said into his shoulder. "Did you talk to your parents any more about why we're going? Do they understand why I can't just sit back and let everyone else to do the fighting?"

"I think they do now, particularly my mother. I told her to remember how ecstatic she was when she knew I was alive, and how much she would have given to spend just one fewer second knowing I was not dead. I think she understood then why you must go to Earth yourself."

Maril looked down at her stomach and rubbed it. "I can't help but think this is not like many of the other threats the League has faced. I am constantly having images running through my mind of my father hurt. If anything has happened to him I need to be there to see him. I need to be there to tell him the great news."

"You shouldn't worry about your father," Rex said to her as he lifted up her head. "He's with. . ." Rex stopped himself as he realized saying Bruce wouldn't comfort her. Reminding her he was with Bruce would just make her think Bruce would push her father into doing something brave, but insane. "He's with Helena," he told her instead. "You know she'll do her best to keep him safe."

Maril was heartened by being reminded her best friend would be watching over her father. "The way Helena operates, she may just have the army of Apokolips defeated by the time we get there," she said with a smile.


	25. Chapter 25: Departure

**Chapter 25**

The power was out in the Wayne building above the ground floor, which was running on emergency power. Helena had to run up the 110 flights of stairs to the roof of the building. She burst out of the door onto the roof and crouched low to do her best to avoid being spotted.

She looked all around her and didn't see any gunships around. She reached the edge of the roof and looked around. The Wayne Tower was one of the tallest buildings in Gotham. The gunships were all flying around at a level below the Wayne Tower. At first Helena surmised they were unconcerned about an attack from above, but as she watched them closely she realized they were not flying close to the tallest buildings. They were concerned about an attack and distanced themselves from the taller buildings to avoid it.

Even though the gunships were not coming close to Wayne Tower, she knew she could still reach a gunship and commandeer it; the question was just how she was going to do that. She could have simply jumped the long distance to a gunship, but she likely would have been seen before she could reach the ship and it would just have to move slightly to avoid her. The other option, which she chose, was to jump to the vicinity of a nearby gunship and use a grappling arrow to catch it. She could then follow the rope to the gunship and take it over.

She took her crossbow out and thought about a grappling arrow. One appeared in the bow and she looked it over. She hoped the arrow's magic would be enough to tear through the gunship's hull.

Helena had been tracking the patrol route of one particular gunship as it circled above the city. There was a part of its route that brought it fairly close to the Wayne Tower. She readied herself for when it came around again, and when it crossed the tower she jumped out and fell towards it. The ship turned it guns in her direction and she fired her grappling hook at it. The grappling hook tore through the ship's hull before it opened. The ship fired its guns at her. She didn't have to block anything as the pilot couldn't get a read on her as she fell. As Helena fell she pulled on the rope and felt it go taut. The pilot of the ship sped off, likely to fly her to the nearest base where the rest of the army could force Helena off his ship. Helena unhooked the arrow from her bow and grabbed the rope as she re-holstered the crossbow. By this time other gunships had been alerted to her presence and several started tailing her.

The gunship she was attached to flew high and quickly started moving around erratically. She guessed it flew high to deprive her of oxygen, and while the lower oxygen level did make her tired, she shrugged it off. She also guessed the erratic flying was done so the other gunships wouldn't be able to hit it. This pilot apparently wanted to live through the invasion. His compatriots did not feel the same way as they started firing their lasers at her.

Helena kept one arm tied around the grappling hook rope and used the gauntlet on the other to block the laser bolts fired at her. The blasts continued to singe her skin, but she tried her best to put the pain out of her mind. As she looked back in order to block the bolts she continued to wrap the rope around the other arm. In this manner she slowly inched her way to the gunship.

Helena noticed the ships following her move away slightly and she wondered what was happening. She realized why they avoided following her when she slammed into a building. The pilot of the ship she was attached to had a plan for knocking her off. Helena tore off a large piece of the building, but didn't lose her grip on the rope. The other ships left her alone and she started wrapping the rope around her arm even faster. When it was clear she was't going anywhere the other ships came up behind her again and started firing at her. She blocked their blasts as before.

Helena had to watch the ships behind her so much she didn't notice any ships coming in from another direction. One ship approached her from the side and fired at her. Most of the blasts missed, but it did get one lucky shot that hit her on the elbow of the arm that was holding the rope. She howled in pain, but was able to keep her concentration on the ships behind her. She saw the ship that had hit her fly past and begin to turn around. Despite the pain she was feeling in her left arm, she continued wrapping the rope around it even faster. When the other ships stopped firing at her she realized she was close to the ship. The pilots apparently weren't as fratricidal as she thought. She turned around and grabbed the rope with her other hand and pulled herself the last few feet and onto the ship itself.

She dug her fingers into the hull of the ship and held on as the pilot flew around in a bid to force her off. She took a look at her singed arms and noticed her charred skin extended to her shoulders on both arms. She tried to forget about the pain as she saw she was heading straight for a skyscraper. She realized the pilot of the ship had not given up on the idea of using a building to knock her off.

In a quick motion Helena flipped to the other side of the ship and tore a hole open in the side. The parademon in the cockpit looked back at her as she grabbed him and threw him out. Helena took his seat and the controls of the thing. Her parents had taught her to fly just about anything and she quickly took to the controls of the ship. She steered it towards the water so she could start taking out the bridges.

The ships that had followed her before started firing at her again. She flew around so they wouldn't have a still target to fire at. Helena reached the water and stayed high over it so she would have more room to move around and dodge the laser blasts being fired at her. As she approached the first bridge she saw the large tanks slowly moving down them. Each tank took up all six lanes of the bridge.

Helena armed the missiles and started flying lower. She lined the ship up with the supports of the bridge and fired the missiles at them. In having to stay on line with the bridge supports she couldn't effectively dodge the blasts fired at her and the ship took a hit. It tore a hole in the hull, but didn't do any significant internal damage.

After she fired the missiles she flew up and over the bridge as the missiles took out the support. She looked back briefly and saw the tanks stop as the bridge crumbled in front of them. She headed for the support of the next bridge and fired more missiles at it. She once again succeeded in taking out the bridge as her ship took a hit itself.

Helena took out all the bridges that led from the mainland to Gotham. She steered for the last bridge that connected Gotham to Bludhaven. She had taken several hits by this point and the ship had lost significant speed and mobility. She lined her ship up with the bridge's support. Right as she fired her missiles she took a critical hit and the ship descended rapidly towards the water. She saw her missiles take out the last bridge as she hit the water.

Helena quickly dived deep as she heard laser blasts hit the surface of the water. She felt lucky they were firing lasers and not bullets. The energy of the lasers would dissipate the moment it hit the water while old fashioned bullets would continue to pass through.

Helena stayed deep under the surface as she didn't want the parademons in the ships to be able to see her. She knew they would be hovering over the water waiting for her to surface for air. Helena swam as swiftly as she could towards the shore of Gotham.

Helena's lungs burned as she felt the need for air. She took off her cape and let it float to the surface. When it reached the surface she saw several laser blasts tear it apart. She floated up on her back and peaked out of the water with just her nose and mouth. She took a deep breath and then dived back down again.

She figured she was close enough to the shore and could make it on the one breath. Her lungs once again burned as she entered shallow water. She took a breath in the same manner as before and took a second to scan the sky. She didn't see any ships around so she figured she was in the clear. She ran out of the water to see she had come ashore on a beach junkyard that had a sewer pipe nearby.

She began to run towards the pipe when she was hit by laser blasts on her back and her left leg. She caught herself from falling and continued to stumble towards the pipe as she turned back slightly to see what had hit her. She saw two gunships racing towards her as they continued to fire their lasers. She blocked their blasts with the gauntlet on her left hand as she grabbed the crossbow with her right.

She continued to limp towards the safety of the pipe as she blocked their blasts. She imagined another arrow with a grappling hook on it. When the ships were right on top of her she fired the arrow at the ship to the right. She then imagined the other end of the rope attached to another arrow and fired that arrow at the one on the left. Both arrows stuck to their targets as the ships flew by. Helena grabbed the rope with her left hand. When she reached the pipe she grabbed it with her right hand and held on as the ships tried to continue flying. Helena's shoulders were almost ripped out of their sockets, but she held tight to the rope and the ships rammed into each other when the ropes wouldn't let them fly any farther.

Both ships went down in flames. Helena looked back out over the sea and saw more gunships heading her way. The two she had destroyed had apparently called in some reinforcements.

Helena knew she had to seek safety in the sewers quickly. Her entire body ached from the laser blasts she took, but she tried to keep her mind about her. The pipe was thin, but she knew it would be just big enough for her to fit through. She grabbed her crossbow off the ground and thought of another grappling arrow and fired it into the pipe. She felt it grab onto something and she had it pull her through the pipe and into the sewer. When she fell into the sewer water she felt some relief as her burns were momentarily cooled a little. She sat up and with her one good leg scooted herself up against the wall of the sewer.

She listened for someone to come after her. She could hear the parademons walking up to the other end of the pipe. They talked to each other in grunts that she couldn't understand. She knew with their broad shoulders they wouldn't be able to fit through the pipe, but wasn't sure if they had any robots or weapons that could follow her. They talked some more and then some shots were fired down the pipe. She heard them walk away and guessed they were going to forget about her. They likely had no idea how to reach her.

Still aching all, over she forced herself to stand. She guessed no one would come into the sewers looking for her, but she still had to get back to the Batcave as quickly as possible. Her left leg hurt as she tried to walk and her right arm hurt as she tried to support her weight against the wall of the sewer. She knew it was going to take her forever to reach the safe house under Wayne Tower. It was miles away and she could barely limp along. She had no choice as she couldn't radio anyone and give away her position. Dread filled her as she thought that there might not be anyone left to radio.

Diana floated through the abandoned farmhouse as she looked out the windows. She couldn't land as her legs were too injured by laser blasts to support her weight. She felt herself starting to get woozy over the loss of blood. One of the female furies had slashed her real bad on the back. It tore her costume apart so badly she was half naked with her breasts exposed. Her modesty was the least of her problems, though.

All her Amazonian warriors had been surrounded and captured. She alone had been able to fly away and headed for this farmhouse to take refuge. She had been able to move so fast the forces of Apokolips didn't see where she went. Diana looked out all the windows and saw the barn where she had parked the invisible jet was nearby. She thought about flying straight for it, but wasn't sure if there were any ships around that might spot her. She was feeling weaker over the slow leak of blood out of the wound on her back and new her lack of strength would make it hard to fly fast enough to avoid detection.

As she thought about what to do she heard a distant explosion. She floated over to a window that looked out in the direction she heard the explosion. She saw a battleship over a demolished farmhouse. It seemed to her they had guessed she was hiding in a farmhouse or barn and were destroying every building within the area. She knew she was going to have to just fly to the jet, she couldn't delay anymore.

Diana flew out through the back door and headed for the barn with the jet. She looked back and saw the battleship was heading her way. It was firing lasers at her, but she was so far away and traveling so fast they were nowhere near her. She pulled out the controller for the jet as she entered the barn. She opened the loading ramp and flew in, closing the door behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief as she was now safe in an undetectable vehicle.

She made it to the cockpit and sat down, feeling more relief. She leaned over the controls and took a moment to rest. The cut on her back felt even worse now that she had less adrenaline running through her body.

She leaned back and activated the scanners. The battleship was almost right on top of her. Her moment of rest had almost cost her and she had to turn on the engines quick. She flew out of the barn just as the battleship stopped over it. The ship fired its guns and destroyed the barn. Diana circled around to see what the battleship did. It headed back in the direction of the base. Diana guessed that they believed they had killed her. She set course for Wayne Manor and collapsed over the console as she let the auto-pilot do all the work.

Maril and Rex stood on the bridge of their flagship. They looked around at the console displays that were keeping track of the positions of the ships around them. The admiral of their fleet was running around checking on things. While the infantry was an even mix of Tamaraneans and Thanagarians, the Space Force was almost entirely Tamaraneans. Rex and Maril hoped it would not cause any friction among their troops.

The admiral came up to them and addressed them, "We are in formation, Your Highnesses. We are just awaiting your command to enter hyperspace and head for Earth."

Rex and Maril looked at each other. Rex nodded at Maril and she turned back to the admiral. "Give the command to the rest of the fleet. Take us to Earth."


	26. Chapter 26: Safehouse

**Chapter 26**

Diana lifted her head up as she felt the jet stop and hover for a moment. As it descended she looked out the cockpit window and saw the manor get larger as they descended towards it. The jet came down in the nearest clearing in the back yard. Diana had a short walk to the manor, but was unsure how she was going to make even that.

She lowered the ramp and was able to float out. Once she got out she collapsed on the ground. She looked up and saw the manor was dark. She had no idea if that indicated if someone wasn't home. She figured if Bruce or Helena was in there they would be hunkered down in the Batcave.

She thought better of the fact they would be hunkered down in the Batcave. Knowing the two of them they would likely be out in the city doing whatever they could if they weren't already captured. She collapsed to the ground as she thought about her family. The invasion was going so badly for Earth she had to face the fact she may never see them again.

Diana knew she had to make it inside. She could treat herself in the Batcave if she had to. As Diana tried to float off the ground she heard something coming towards her. She was shocked when Troy came up and started nudging her face. "How did you get out?" she asked it as she rubbed its head.

She cared little about how the horse actually got out of its stall and barn. She was just amazed he was there. "Can you give me a ride to the manor?" she asked it. The horse acted as if it understood her and presented its back for her. She climbed on top of it and held onto the horse's mane as it trotted to the manor.

It stopped on the deck and Diana climbed off it. She leaned against the horse as she tried to stay upright on her injured legs. She punched the door open before she collapsed on the floor inside. She knew breaking the door would set off the alarm and send a warning message to the Batcave. If anyone was there they would know about her. She laid on the hardwood floor and waited for someone to come, even though she thought it would be unlikely.

It wasn't long before she heard footsteps coming towards her. Her heart leaped in her throat when she heard them. "Diana!" she heard her husband yell. She noticed the surprise in his voice. He was likely expecting someone else, and she knew who it was.

"Where's our daughter?" she shouted to him as she felt him kneel down beside her.

"She's out there, but I know she hasn't been captured," he told her. "She took out all the bridges into the city and stopped the forces from entering. Their ships are flying overhead, but they're leaving the city alone."

Bruce helped Diana to her feet. For one of the few times in her life she was mad that Bruce was not out there. She wished he was out there trying to find their daughter. As he struggled to help her walk she was reminded that he was not as strong as he used to be and was in no condition to be out there. Their daughter was going to have to find her own way back.

"Did you come in the invisible jet?" Bruce asked her as he walked her to the Batcave entrance.

"Yes," Diana answered. "Are you thinking about taking it out?"

"I can apply the clay to your body, but then I need to fly out in the jet. Dick tried to take the Batboat to Bludhaven and the clock tower. I need to see if he made it and what happened to Barbara and the twins at the tower."

"I understand," Diana said as they reached the stairs that led the way down.

Bruce flew the invisible jet past the defensive perimeter of battleships the forces of Apokolips had set up. The ships paid him no attention as they couldn't detect him. He didn't have to fly far until he saw the wreckage of the Batboat. He feared the worst as he descended to the water. His emotions changed instantly when the jet's scanners found signs of life. He rushed to the deck below and opened the landing ramp. He saw Dick hanging over a piece of wreckage and just barely keeping his head above water. Bruce walked to the edge of the ramp and pulled Dick out of the water. He was unresponsive, but Bruce could feel signs of life. He wrapped in up in blankets and then headed back up to the cockpit.

Bruce flew over to Bludhaven and headed straight for the clock tower. He once again feared the worst looking at the damage it had sustained. It was not completely destroyed, but one side of it had been blown away. Bruce slowly flew the jet into the tower and had it hover. He opened the cockpit roof and climbed out.

"Barbara," he called. He prayed there were parademons around to hear him. His heart beat like crazy as he waited to see if he would get a reply.

"Bruce," he finally heard from above. He activated the rockets on his suit and flew up to the level above. He found Barbara Gordon sitting in her wheelchair with the twins clutched to her.

"How did you get here?" she asked him.

"I came in Diana's jet. I can get you out of here." He didn't say anything about Dick as she didn't want the twins to hear about their father just yet.

"Take the twins first," she commanded. They both turned their heads to look at Bruce. The fear was apparent in their eyes, but they knew Bruce and trusted him. They were not hesitant to let go of their mother as Bruce grabbed the. He jumped down to the jet with them and then fell through to the cockpit. He put them down and told them he would be back immediately with their mother.

He flew back up and hurried over to Barbara. "I have Dick in the lower deck," he told her as he lifted her up in her wheelchair. She was heavy to him and he had difficulty carrying her. "He tried to come over here in the Batboat, but it was destroyed on his journey. I found him and he's out cold now, but I think he'll make it."

Bruce jumped back down to the jet and then through the opening into the cockpit. Barbara stayed stoic as she knew she needed to be strong for her young children. The twins ran to her as Bruce went back to the controls. He flew back to the manor.

Helena gained strength as she neared the safehouse in the sewer. She continued to lean against the sewer wall as she picked up her pace. She finally reached the door of the safehouse and reached up to activate it.

Despite her limited mobility she still made it behind the concrete block before it closed. She limped to the safe door and found the knob for entering the combination. She tried to push the pain she was feeling out of her mind so she could concentrate on opening the door. She listened for the clicks and pushed the door open when the combination had been entered.

She limped over to the computer console and paused for a moment. The computer had a closed circuit connection to the Batcave, so she could contact it without having to worry about giving away her position. She paused at the console afraid to try and contact the Batcave. All the while she had been walking back she had dreams of her mother and father being safe in the Batcave. While her father had headed back there, there was no way to know whether or not he had left again. She had thoughts of her mother being back at the Batcave even though it was unlikely she would have made it back from Kansas.

As long as she waited to call, she could hold on to her fantasies that her entire family was safe. She actually did hold off for a minute, but soon she started thinking of ways they might be in danger. She had to know for sure what had happened to them.

Diana put on a new costume. She could feel the clay starting to work and knew she would only get better as time went by. She felt well enough to go out and look for Helena.

Diana walked out of the medical tent to find the Batcave empty. It felt weird being alone in the place. She tried not to think about what might be happening to Bruce out there. She knew she had to concentrate on finding her daughter. She was about to fly out when she heard Helena's voice coming from the Batcomputer's speakers.

"Dad, Dad, this is Helena. I am in the safehouse under Wayne Tower."

Diana almost broke down crying. The relief she felt over knowing her daughter was alive and free was intense. For a moment, she didn't know what to do. When her brain started working again she hurried over to the computer.

"I'm here Helena," Diana yelled into the microphone. They could hear a cry of joy come over the speaker.

"Mom?" was all Helena could say in reply.

"Are you injured, Helena?"

"Yeah, I'm hurt bad," she answered. Diana knew her daughter would almost never admit to being hurt. She couldn't imagine how badly hurt she was if she was actually admitting it.

"I'll come to get you in the rail car," Diana replied.

"Wait," Helena said. "Where's Dad.

Just Helena asked her question she noticed Bruce coming into the back door of the Manor. Barbara and the twins were following him. She could see him carrying a body and guessed it was Dick's. She prayed he was alive.

"Bruce is here. He just got back from picking up Dick and his family. Hold tight, I'm coming to get you." Diana got on the intercom and spoke to Bruce. "I'm taking the rail car to pick up Helena in the safe house. She's hurt, but alive and free. How's Dick."

Bruce gave the thumbs up sign to the camera and Diana knew what he meant. She flew over to the rail car and headed on her way.

Helena collapsed to the ground and leaned up against the console. She closed her eyes and took the moment to rest. She could feel the sweat pouring down all over her body, at least the portions of her body where the nerve endings hadn't been singed.

Helena was overjoyed to find her parents were okay and safe in the Batcave. She tried to put the pain she was feeling out of her mind by telling her body she would be back in the cave soon and could be healed by the Themysciran clay.

She heard the rail car pull into the safehouse. She didn't get up as she felt too weak to do so.

Diana jumped out of the rail car and flew in the direction of the computer. She was hovering over her daughter in a second, but had trouble believing the young woman she was looking at was her daughter. Her skin was so blackened she looked unrecognizable. Diana thought about the attacks she must have taken to sustain those injuries and didn't understand how her daughter could have lived.

Helena made no movements and Diana worried she might really be dying. "Helena!" she yelled as she lowered herself to the floor in front of her daughter.

"Yeah Mom," Helena replied. Her voice wasn't strong, but there was no indication she was close to death.

"You must be exhausted, dear," she said as she kneeled down beside her.

"Kind of," she replied as she tried to lift her head to look at her mother. Diana removed her daughter's mask for her. Her hair was drenched with sweat. She pushed it out of her face so her eyes were free.

"How many of us haven't been caught?" she asked as she looked at her mother.

"Don't worry about that?" Diana replied.

"Just the three of us then," she said as she rested her head back up against the console and closed her eyes.

Diana knew her daughter was not going to be able to reach the rail car under her own power. While her daughter was prideful, Diana didn't think she would mind being carried just this once. She bent over her daughter, but was hesitant to pick her up. Her blackened skin looked like it would break apart upon the slightest touch. Diana said a short prayer and stuck her arms under Helena's body and lifted her off the ground. She was relieved to see no more harm was done to her daughter.

She flew her over to the rail car and gently laid her down in the passenger seat. She propped her up as best she could as she closed the cockpit.

"Mom, I think I kept them out of the city," Helena said.

"You did, dear, you did." On the ride to the Batcave she told Helena about Dick and his family making it back to the manor.


	27. Chapter 27: Revelation

**Chapter 27**

Helena felt the rail car slow down to a stop and knew they had reached the Batcave. She heard the cockpit open and then felt her mother lift her out of her seat. She started feeling better as she knew relief was just around the corner. She hoped her father wouldn't be too freaked out.

As Diana flew her across the Batcave she heard the sound of familiar voices. She opened her eyes briefly and saw Lois and Clark talking to her father. Clark looked to be in good health, and she was slightly perturbed he wasn't out there fighting if he wasn't incapacitated. She knew her parents probably felt the same way.

"Oh my God," she heard Lois say.

"I'll be alright," she replied so they would know she wasn't close to death.

"The jar of clay is up in Helena's room," her father informed them. "I thought she would be much more comfortable up there."

"Let me treat her," Lois said to everyone's surprise. All eyes turned to her. "The three of you have some important things to discuss," she said in reference to the triumvirate.

"I'll carry Helena up and then leave the two of you alone," her mother said to the old woman.

They walked quietly as Diana carried her daughter to her room, with Lois following right behind them. Helena remembered the one rule her father had about the manor; no costumes were ever to be worn in it. He didn't want their worlds to get blurred. The only exceptions he made were the times when the manor had to be used as a base for the League. She guessed he already had everything set up.

Diana carried Helena up to her room on the third floor and laid her on her bed. She had to lay Helena on her stomach as her back was so badly burned. She was hesitant to leave her daughter when she was so badly hurt.

"Don't worry about her, Diana," Lois told her. "I'll take good care of her."

"Thanks," Diana replied before she left the room.

Lois watched Diana walk out of the room and then looked back to Helena. As she did so she thought back to the first time she had seen the girl.

Lois was inconsolable after Clark's death. Every hero made their best attempt to comfort her, but she found everything they told her meaningless. She had never expected Clark to die and was completely unprepared for dealing with it.

To Lois's surprise, the most understanding hero ended up being Bruce. He understood there was nothing anyone could say or do to make her feel better. He suggested the best thing for her was to get away for a little while in order to find some peace and quiet. He offered to fly her to Themyscira where she would not be bothered fi she didn't want to be.

On the flight there Bruce told her about Helena's birth. She found it hard to be happy for her friends, given the loss she had just suffered. She promised Bruce she would be by to see the child.

On Themyscira, the Amazons took good care of her. At her request, they mostly left her alone. They brought her meals to her and seemed pleased to do so to help her out.

Lois was there for a full day before she started feeling guilty she hadn't made her way over to Diana's room. When Alexa brought her lunch she asked to be taken to Diana's. The Amazon led the way and Diana was overjoyed to see her.

"I'm so happy to see you," Diana said when she saw Lois. She moved to get out of bed.

"You don't have to get up," Lois said as she walked to her. The two women embraced.

"I'm so sorry about what happened," Diana said. "I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better, but I know from experience there is nothing."

The fact that Diana told her the truth was actually comforting to Lois. She held on to the embrace as that was making her feel better, also. Diana broke it when the baby let out a cry.

Lois walked over to the cradle to take a look at the girl. She yawned as she woke up from her nap. She tried to free her hands from the blanket that was wrapped around her, but couldn't quite do it. Lois looked smiled as she looked down at the adorable girl.

"Do you want to hold her?" Diana asked.

"Of course," Lois answered.

Diana climbed out of bed and lifted Helena out of the cradle. She handed her over to Lois and the woman held her gently. She looked down at the girl as she finally freed her hands from the blanket.

"She is absolutely beautiful," Lois told Diana. She offered the baby her finger and Helena grabbed it. "My, she's strong," Lois exclaimed when as the baby squeezed it tight. "She's going to make one hell of a hero."

Lois glanced over at Diana and noticed the look she had on her face. She could tell something was wrong. "Did I say the wrong thing?" Lois asked.

Diana sighed. "Right now I'm trying not to think about Helena becoming a hero when she grows up."

"Do you want to talk about it at all?"

"I wouldn't mind, it's just Bruce and I are worried for Helena now after Clark's death."

Lois could tell why Diana might have been hesitant to bring up the subject. "It's okay. I need to be able to talk about it. What's the exact problem?"

"Bruce and I are worried about her in ways we haven't been before. After seeing Clark die, my daughter seems so much more vulnerable now. I don't want her out there. I want her to be able to keep her safe."

As Lois looked at Helena she could understand what she was saying. She wised Clark could have stayed out of the fight. If he did he might be alive now, but a lot more people would be dead.

"Bruce is convinced he can train her to face anything, but I'm skeptical."

"You can't hold her back," Lois said. "It's not in the DNA of your family to sit back and do nothing while others suffer. Years from now, I don't think you are going to have the option of keeping her out of fights."

Lois looked hard at the burned and blackened back of Helena as she grabbed the canister of clay. She wondered if there was any life Helena could have lived that would have prevented her from ending up in this position.

Helena was feeling so much pain she didn't even think about the fact her parents and Superman were cutting her out of an important conversation. This situation was something that happened often and she was always upset how she wasn't included. It was something that should have been even more acute now, given that they were the only four members of the League that were free.

"I hope you don't mind me taking care of you," Lois said to her. "Your mother was way too bent out of shape over your injuries. It really is best that she not see you too much like this."

Helena lifted her head up and looked over herself. "I didn't think I looked that bad," she said.

"Even your father never managed to look as bad as you do now," Lois replied.

Helena snickered over what Lois said. The two of them shared a certain bond as they often found themselves on the outside of the triumvirate. Helena was surprised that Lois volunteered to leave the three alone as she was often just as frustrated as Helena for not being included in things."

"Let's get your gauntlets off you," Lois told the girl. Helena could feel Lois wrap her hands around the end of one of the gauntlets. She looked back and saw Lois's white hands wrapped around her black skin. She was apprehensive about how this would work, but knew they had to be taken off. She held her fingers out so Lois could pull it straight off.

"You ready?" Lois asked.

Helena closed her eyes and nodded her head. She though Lois might give her a warning. Instead she just yanked it straight off without saying anything. Helena let out a soft cry.

"My father always told me the best way to deal with injuries was to move swiftly and make the pain intense, but short," Lois told her. Helena often forgot Lois's father was a general who raised his daughter's as soldiers.

Lois moved to go to the other side of the bed and yanked the other gauntlet off without saying anything.

"I thought you might be a little perturbed my parents and your husband are making plans and keeping us out of the loop."

"It does irritate me a little," Lois replied as she lifted the canister of clay up onto the bed. "But I had a feeling you would have a bug in the cave that your father would not be able to find."

"I don't have one in the Batcave," Helena admitted. "My father is actually too adept at finding them. I do have a bug hidden in my mother's tiara, though."

Lois got a laugh over Helena's cunning. "I'm surprised you're not listening in right now?" she said.

"I didn't want to give it away," she replied.

"Do you have a transmitter on you?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's on the back of my utility belt," she replied. "Why don't you grab it for me?"

Helena lifted herself slightly so Lois could unbuckle the belt. She then slid it off Helena's body. "Which compartment it is in?" she asked.

"The one in the exact middle of the belt," Helena replied. "It's disguised as a vial of shark repellent."

"That's a good one," Lois replied. "It's something you would never use and something no one else would ever need."

She turned it on so the two of them could listen in on the conversation of the triumvirate. While they listened Lois started rubbing the clay over her wounds. Helena could feel it working instantly, even though she knew it would be a while before it completely healed her.

"How is she?" Helena heard her father ask.

"I'm not sure," she heard her mother say with her voice cracking. "I've never seen anyone with injuries like that. I don't know how she's handling it."

"She'll heal up. The clay works miracles on you two."

"I almost wish it would work slowly so she won't be well until all this is over," Diana said. "My mind would be put at so much ease if I knew she couldn't be out there, putting herself in danger."

"I don't think that's going to happen," Bruce said. "You'll have to break her legs to keep her here. I'm sorry, but she takes after me too much."

Helena was angered over her mother's desires to keep her out of danger. She was every bit the superhero they were and if they weren't going to avoid danger then she should not have to either. She was heartened somewhat by her father sticking up for her.

Lois picked up on the anger Helena was feeling over her mother's comments. "Don't be angry at your mother. It's tough for her to see you like this. She's worried about you and taking it a little too far."

Helena felt Lois was right. Her mother wasn't trying to treat her like a child. The thought struck her that this was how her father must have felt whenever one of them tried to tell him he was too old to be a superhero.

Lois finished up with her arms and started working on her back. Because of the direct hit she had taken that was by far the worst spot. It was painful to feel the clay working after it had been applied.

No sound came out of the communicator and for a moment Helena wondered if it had stopped working. Her fears were put to rest when she heard her father's voice coming over it.

"As nice as it might be to let Helena sit this one out, we are going to need all the help we can get. We are facing a threat like none we have ever faced before. Clark can tell you all about it."

Helena buried her face in her pillow as she felt the pain of her back and tried to think of something to distract herself. Lois took off her boots and started applying the clay to her legs. Helena felt assured that shortly all the clay would be applied and she would be healed soon after that.

"I know the two of you know all about my time as Darkseid's pawn, even my relationship with Lashina." Helena wondered why Clark would bring up that. She knew it couldn't be easy for Lois to hear about it.

"It appears. . .it appears that the leader of Apokolips now is my son by Lashina." Helena could hear her mother gasp over the communicator. She was so shocked she lifted herself up. She looked back at Lois, who had a pained look on her face.

"Did you know about this?" she asked her. Lois nodded without saying anything. She continued applying the clay to Helena's legs as she looked like she was fighting back tears.

"When the forces appeared over Metropolis I flew out to confront them," Clark said. Helena laid her head back down so she could concentrate on the conversation coming through the communicator. "I had just about reached the fleet when something came out of nowhere and hit me so hard it knocked me back. I righted myself quickly even though I was shocked someone else could move so fast I wouldn't have been alerted to them before they hit me.

I looked around to find out what hit me, but couldn't see anything that would have done it. In a flash someone appeared in front of me. I felt like I was practically looking in a mirror. I figured out quickly who it must be, but he made a point of telling me just to make sure I knew. He gave his name as Lash-El.

He charged at me again and we exchanged punches as he pushed me all the way to the ground. When we hit it I thought I could counterattack, but I started feeling weak. I recognized the feeling as Kryptonite before I saw the glow coming out of a compartment on his belt. He took it off his belt and held it towards me. He told me that he was unhurt by it because while it took away his Kryptonian powers, he still had his New God strength. He dropped it a short distance away from me. He told me he needed something from me, but it wasn't time to try and get it from me just yet, he didn't have his leverage. He said my planet would soon be under his thumb and once it was I would have to do what he wanted me to. He said he would be back the next morning to fetch me. He walked out of the range of the Kryptonite and then flew away."

There was a moment of silence coming from the communicator. Helena could feel every wound had been rubbed with clay. She glanced back at Lois and saw her with her head down. She was either deep in thought, or waiting for the conversation to begin again.

Clark's voice came through the communicator again. "I was slowly able to crawl away from the Kryptonite and fly up into space. I looked all over the planet and saw the Apokolips forces had been victorious everywhere, except here." Helena had to smile over the fact that her ability to keep Gotham safe brought Superman here. "I went back to Metropolis to find Lois and tell her everything. She suggested we risk coming here to get your help and advice."

There was silence once again coming from the communicator. "You did the right thing," Diana told him.

Bruce spoke up now. "I've followed the tactics of the invasion force from whatever sources I have been able to utilize. The plan they pulled off has been quite remarkable. They seemed to know exactly what each hero would do to stop them and they were able to use that information to capture them."

"It must be the information they extracted from my mind when I was their slave," Clark said.

"It can't be that," Bruce replied. "They even knew what the younger superheroes would do. They must have been studying us extensively and developed their plans from that. While I don't know anything about this Lash-El, it would seem to me that he has someone or something aiding him. I don't think I could come up with a battle plan like that."

"Brainiac!" Clark yelled. Helena could hear a loud pop which indicated Superman had slammed a fist into his hand. "I can't believe I didn't notice it before. He was wearing a head band with three dots on it. I didn't think much of it at the time, but it has to be Brainiac. The two of them have bonded together."

Helena could hear the fearful sighs come from all of them. "At least now we know what we're up against," her mother said.

"Do you have any idea what he wants you for?" Bruce asked.

"None, this whole invasion could just be him acting out against me. He might be trying to humiliate me and build himself up in his mind."

"If he is bonded with Brainiac it can't be that," Bruce said. "The computer would never go along with it. I think this entire operation was put in motion by him and he is the key to all this. Lash-El is just the muscle he's manipulating. We have to think about what he wants from you, Clark."

"Brianiac has been after the information in the Fortress's computer for a long time. This could be his method for finally getting it."

"It seems a bit far-fetched, but I don't know if there is any other explanation," Diana said.

"It does seem odd that he would go through this entire invasion for it," Bruce said. "There must be some bit of information he knows is in there that he needs desperately. He must figure if we know it we would do everything to stop him from getting it."

"We can't just assume he is after something big," Diana said. "He has a mission to carry out to collect information, which is everything to him. While it might seem to us like carrying out this invasion merely for information is overkill, he doesn't see it that way."

"Diana is right," Clark said. "As long as we don't know he is after anything more we can't risk the lives of anyone in order to protect it. That is why I am going to make sure I am back at the spot he left me tomorrow."

"So you're just going to give into him," Bruce said. While his words sounded like an admonishment, Helena recognized the tone of her father's voice. He wanted Clark to confirm his plans, but he was not against them. He had accepted that passivity seemed to be the right approach here.

"We can tail you in the invisible jet," Diana said.

"There will be no need for your help. I will simply do what is asked of me."

Helena bolted upright out of bed. She couldn't believe what she was hearing out of them. They were completely ready to surrender unconditionally to Brainiac. She had to get down to the cave and speak her mind.

"If you're going to go down to the cave, can you at least put on some clothes," she heard Lois say to her. She was holding out an oversized T-shirt.

"You know me well," she said to Lois as she realized Lois would have had to grab the shirt before she ever got up. She grabbed it and put it on. She tried to stand but faltered a little.

"Let me help you," Lois said as she came over and offered her body for Helena to lean on. Helena was a little concerned the old woman would not be able to support her, but she proved to be made of sterner stuff then she realized. Together the two of them walked down to the study.

Helena thought about the conversation the triumvirate had while they walked. "Clark told you what he was going to do before you came here, didn't he? You brought him here so someone would convince him to fight."

"Yes, I thought that person would be your father," she replied.

"I know it's hard to believe, but he has actually gotten soft," she said. "Luckily for you, I haven't."

The two of them walked through the study and stopped at the entrance to the Batcave. They looked down the staircase at the three superheroes below. Clark was the first to notice them.

"Lois," he exclaimed.

"Helena, what are you doing?" her mother asked.

Lois started to walk down the stairs, but Helena stopped her. "I can make it on my own," she told her. She started walking down the stairs herself as she talked to the others.

"I can't believe you are just going to quit like this," she yelled as she struggled to make it down.

"We don't have much choice," her father said. She knew he was taking the lead as he was the person she would most likely listen to. "The army of Apokolips has annihilated us. There are only four of us left."

"We can break out the rest of the League," she retorted as she reached the foot of the stairs. "We know where they are being held. We can make a plan for breaking them out, and then we can fight as one. They beat us before because we were spread all over. If we form our own army we can use divide and conquer against them. We can beat them at their own game."

"It's risky," her father said. Helena nearly jumped for joy at the thought he was breaking down. If she could win him over he could help her bring the other two around. "No one there is going to be in good shape. We don't know how well they would be able to fight."

Helena's hopes crashed to the ground. Her father wasn't on her side after all. He was looking for reasons to give up just as much as the others.

"I'm sorry, dear," her mother told her. "The chance we have to take is that Brainiac doesn't want anything other than harmless information. If he has anything more extensive planned later we will have to deal with it when the time comes. He is a machine with extreme focus and once he has what he wants he will leave us be. He will take his forces back to Apokolips and focus on something else."

"If you're wrong about what he is after, you could be dooming the Earth and the entire universe to destruction," Helena scowled at her mother.

"We would need an army to take on the invasion forces, and we don't exactly have one," her mother pointed out.

"Maril and Rex," she blurted out as she didn't have time to think about what she really wanted to say.

"What's that?" her father asked. Helena sensed a hint of intrigue in his voice.

"I told you about them before, Dad," she replied. "They should have received J'onn's distress call. They will be here with their army to aid us."

"You can't expect-"

"This is their home. They will come with their armies as soon as possible." She was feeling better and was able to walk over to the computer. She started working through scenarios on how quickly they could make it here from Tamaran. "If they move quickly they could make it here by tomorrow afternoon. Knowing them, they will be moving quickly."

"If they were to leave with most of their army, they would be leaving Thanagar open to attack by the Gordanians," her mother told her. "We can't count on them coming."

"Yes we can," she shouted at them. "They will take the chance Thanagar will be able to defend itself. They will not be able to sit around and think about everything that is happening to their friends and family back here. Go up and ask Barabara and the twins if you think they will stay away. I would tell you to ask Dick, but he can't exactly talk right now."

Helena looked mostly at her father as she talked. She knew he was the easiest to win over and thought he would also be swayed by the way she brought Dick into this. She was trying to remind him of the family connection they had to Maril. He had to know Maril would take after them and put everything on the line to come to the aid of her family.

"Helena's right," he finally said, softly. "They will come. They will be here tomorrow, exactly as she said."

Helena could barely control herself; she was so overcome with joy. She had her father on her side and now it was two against two. She had a feeling her mother and Clark would not want to look weak. They would agree to fight as well.

"By your calculations, the Tamaraneans won't get here until after Clark is supposed to meet with Lash," her mother informed her. "Do you expect us to stage an attack with blind faith they will show up in a timely manner?"

"We've taken bigger chances in the past," Clark reminded them. Helena took this as an indication he was on her side. There was some life in his voice, whereas before there had only been despair. There was silence among the group for a short while, and a feeling seemed to grow among them that they were going to do it; they were going to fight back.

"Well, it was your idea to fight," her father reminded her. "I take it you have a plan on what we should do."

Helena felt heartened that her father and the others were apparently willing to put so much responsibility on her shoulders. She tried to keep her focus on the fact they were in a dire situation and she needed to come up with a great plan considering their odds. "Let's assess what we have she said. There's the four of us, Lois, Barbara, and the invisible jet."

"I'm going to have to meet with my son, or else there will be hell to pay," Clark reminded her.

"Yes, and that will be a good time to stage our attack," she said. "Brainiac must have left you alone because he feels the need to lead his forces personally. When he comes to fetch you the army of Apokolips will be leaderless and that will be a good time to strike. We need to hit the prison camp and free the League."

"How do you suggest we hit it?" her mother asked her.

Helena thought for a minute because she wanted to have a fully formed plan when she told them about it. "We can take the invisible jet and sneak right in to the camp," she began. "The sneak attack will be extra successful if someone gives us a distraction first." She looked at her mother as she talked. "Mom, since you're the one least trained in stealth techniques, would you mind being the distraction."

"Not at all," she answered as she looked back and forth between her husband and daughter. Helena wondered what was going through her mind as she realized the two of them would be attacking the camp together.

"Dad and I can fly right up to the prison complex in the jet. We can blast a hole in whatever prison they have and then free the others on foot."

"Who's going to fly the jet?" Diana asked.

"Lois can do it," Helena replied. She knew the woman was always a little perturbed by not being able to participate in the superhero adventures her husband and friends did. The woman did have piloting skills, though, and they were needed now.

Lois was obviously happy, but Helena could feel Clark felt differently. "Are you sure there are no other options?" he asked.

"Barbara should stay here and coordinate the Tamaranean forces when they arrive," she said. There was silence all around as it seemed like the plan was set.

"It looks like we have a plan," her father said. "Perhaps we should all get some sleep in preparation for tomorrow."


	28. Chapter 28: Calm

**Chapter 28**

Helena was the first to head up as she knew she needed her rest more than the others, given her injuries. She was going to head straight to bed, but when she exited the study she noticed the light was coming from the Great Hall. She knew her father would have that set-up as a makeshift hospital and that Dick would be in there.

She walked in to find Dick lying in a hospital bed in the back corner of the room. As she approached the bed she could see he was asleep, along with the twins, who were lying on each side of him. Barbara was obviously awake and was working on her tablet.

Barbara smiled weakly when she saw Helena. "How is Dick doing?" she asked the woman.

"Okay, for now, as long as there are no setbacks." Helena could detect the fear and sadness in the woman's voice. She took a look at all the machines that Dick was hooked up to and tried to read what she could understand. He was apparently stable, but there was no way to know if that would hold.

"He's in an induced coma," Barbara told her

"How long will he have to be out?" Helena asked.

"A couple of days, at least," Barbara replied.

"This might all be over by the time he wakes up," Helena explained. "Tomorrow-"

"I know what you guys are doing," she said as she held up the tablet. "I figured you would have a bug in the cave and I hacked into the feed."

Helena smiled at the woman's ingenuity. "I'm more than willing to help out," she said. "You were right, Maril's going to come. She could never stay away when we were in trouble."

Helena was going to ask her some questions about tomorrow, but was interrupted by the sound of Harriet smacking her father on her sleep. "Can I ask a favor of you, Helena?" Barbara asked.

"Anything," she replied.

"Can you take the twins and put them in their own bed. They would probably sleep better there and they wouldn't disturb Dick."

"Of course," Helena answered. She carefully picked up Harriet so as not to wake her. She held the girl against her with one arm and walked over to get James. She had a little bit more difficulty picking him up with one arm, but she got him against her chest in the same manner as Harriet.

She walked out of the hall, but looked back at Dick and Babs just before she made it out. Barbara wheeled herself closer to Dick and laid a hand on him. Helena realized she partly wanted the twins taken so she could have some private time with her husband.

Helena didn't have any trouble walking while carrying both toddlers. They weren't heavy to her, but carrying both of them was a little awkward. It was especially tough because she was trying to walk without waking them up.

Helena carried the twins up to her floor. She knew there was at least one bedroom with an open door she could just walk through. The bedroom across from her own had its door open and she kicked it all the way open as she took the twins inside. Its window had a blast door covering it, but enough light made its way in from the hallway that Helena was able to see her way around. She walked to the bed and did her best to kick the covers back. She gently put each kid in the bed and then pulled the covers around them.

Despite her best attempts to be extremely gentle, Harriet woke up. The girl started trembling as she looked around with her wide eyes. "Where's Mom?" she said in a fearful voice. "Where's Dad?"

"There just downstairs, sweetie," Helena answered as she kissed her forehead and rubbed her stomach to try and comfort her. "Your mother just had me bring the two of you up here because she thought you would be more comfortable. Your father is doing just fine."

"What's happening out there?" she asked as tears started to fill her eyes. Helena knew instantly she was talking about the invasion that she had seen take out the clock tower.

"It's all quiet, right now," Helena answered as she continued to stroke the girl's stomach. "Your Uncle Bruce has made the manor the safest place on Earth. Nobody is going to be able to touch us in here."

"What about everyone else?"

Helena knew this question was going to be a little bit more difficult to answer. "Well, the army that invaded isn't doing anything right now. They seem to be taking a rest. We are going to be out there tomorrow. I know we can beat them."

Harriet looked away from Helena. She knew the girl understood they had little chance of taking on a whole army. "Don't worry about us, Harriet. Tomorrow your sister is going to be here with an army and they will beat back this force."

Harriet's attitude changed and her eyes beamed with joy hearing about Maril's army. "Really?" she asked.

"Yes, really," Helena answered. "Now get some sleep. It will seem like Maril gets here quicker if you're sleeping for most of it. Now I'm going to be across the hall. Don't be afraid to come in if you need anything." Helena kissed Harriet on the forehead again and walked out of the room. She closed the door gently to make sure she didn't wake up James.

As she walked across the hall to her room she thought about the conversation she just had with Harriet. "Don't make me a liar, Maril," she said to herself.

As Helena entered her room she heard the sound of voices and immediately took a defensive posture. It didn't take her long to realize the voices were those of her parents and Lois. She had left on the speaker for the bug and it was still relaying everything it picked up. She ran over to it just to catch the end of the conversation.

"So, it's settled then," her father's gruff voice said. "If Lash and Superman go anywhere we will follow them in the jet. We can't leave Clark on his own."

Helena heard the two women voice their agreement. She then heard footsteps as they all went up the stairs. She cursed them for making plans behind her back like this. She was especially mad at Lois, who was acting hypocritically by leaving her out of their plans. Helena knew she was going to have to make her own plans to follow them. She turned the speaker off and then tried to get some sleep.

Diana was surprised to find the bedroom dark when she entered. She hadn't expected Bruce to hit the sack so quickly. He had gone directly to their room while she had shown Lois to one of the guest rooms. She had talked a little with Lois. The conversation must have lasted longer than she thought.

She could see fine in the dark and made her way over to her dresser. She took everything off and then crawled into bed naked. She slid over next to her husband, pressed her body against his back and wrapped an arm around him. She brushed her hand against his bare chest as she kissed the back of his shoulder.

She rubbed her hand against his chest and felt the old, wrinkled skin. She thought back to how big and muscular his chest had been when they were first married. She kissed his neck and laid her cheek on his, feeling the skin that was beginning to become flabby. It pained her to think about how old he had become and how he was still going to go out and fight tomorrow, despite it.

"Checking to see how sturdy I am?" Bruce asked his wife. She was surprised to find out he was still awake.

"Maybe just a little," she admitted.

"Are you that ready to deem me an invalid?"

"I'm just worried about you, Bruce," she whispered in his ear. "I love you and need you and would be devastated if anything happened to you. You should know this already."

Bruce stayed silent as he didn't know quite how to respond to his wife. He hated to admit he was thinking about his mortality more and more. He knew he couldn't stay home tomorrow, he was needed to badly. He hoped this would be the last mission he would ever have to partake in.

Helena tossed and turned in bed. When she had come up to her room she had felt too wired to actually sleep. She was proud of herself for convincing the others to actually fight and she was anxious to see her plan put into action. She knew she needed to be rested, though, and did her best to try and get some sleep. She was hampered by her anger over knowing her parents were planning things behind her back.

She tried to do what she could to calm herself down. She tried to think about the importance of this mission in the hopes the feeling of gravitas would convince her body to go to sleep. Thinking about the mission just reminded her of all her friends who were imprisoned. Her mind especially focused on Connor. She had no way to know for sure if he had been captured, but she knew there was a good chance he was. As she thought about him she started getting fearful that the worst had happened to him. She remembered the conversation she had with Maril on the day they had been told Rex had died. Maril had said she could feel Rex was still alive. Helena wasn't able to feel anything about Connor. She wondered what that said about their relationship.

Helena tried to do everything she could to get herself to sleep, but nothing worked. She finally decided to get some fresh air. She opened the window and stepped out onto the roof. The cool breeze felt good against her. She looked around to make sure there were no ships flying around that might be able to spot her. As she looked around she saw Clark sitting on the top of the roof, looking up at the sky.

He wasn't paying attention to her and she wondered if he knew she was out there. She immediately realized this was a stupid thought because with his senses he would have heard her the moment she stepped out.

She walked up to him. "Would you mind some company?" she asked.

"Of course not," he said without looking back at her. She sat down by his side. "Looking at anything in particular?" she asked.

"Just the empty sky," he said. "Brainiac doesn't have any craft in space above the atmosphere," he said. "At least none in the portion I can actually see. Hopefully it will stay that way. We don't want the Tamaraneans to have to face the forces the moment they come out of hyperspace."

"Unable to take your mind off an upcoming mission, you're becoming more like my father every day."

She could see Clark snicker in the moonlight. "That might not be such a bad thing," he said. "He always had the mental toughness to do what needed to be done," he said.

Helena was unsure what he was trying to get at. "What do you think needs to be done?" she asked bluntly.

"I need to betray my own flesh and blood," he said.

Clark had put up a brave face earlier, but she knew the fact they were going up against his son had to be causing him great anguish. She tried to think about what her parents would do if things were reversed, and knew they probably wouldn't be doing as well as Clark was. He was stronger in comparison to them than he realized.

"What do you see yourself having to do?" she asked.

"I don't know, exactly," he said. "I don't know my son, but I do know Brainiac, and he now has a bond with Lash-El, a bond that would not have occurred if he hadn't seen my son to be as heartless as he was. Their plans are likely not good, and they must be stopped no matter what the cost."

Helena wasn't sure how far Clark was willing to go and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out. "Are you sure your son is not unwillingly being controlled by Brainiac."

He snickered again. "I know the world he grew up in and I know the woman who raised him. Outside of his genes, he is not my son at all."

Helena was both reassured and taken aback by Clark's words. She was reassured that his connection to Lash-El would not cause him to hold back, but it was still shocking to hear him talk about his own son that way. She was uncomfortable thinking about it and left him alone as she didn't want to hear any more from him.


	29. Chapter 29: Attack

**Chapter 29**

Helena woke up well after sunrise and was shocked she had slept so long. Normally, when she was anticipating a major event, she woke up early. She was glad this time was different as she knew she needed the rest. She certainly felt rested.

She checked the twins' room and saw they were gone. She hoped they weren't anywhere they were not supposed to be. She walked downstairs to the dining hall to find everyone gathered around the table eating their breakfast. Clark was the only one absent as he didn't need to eat, of course. Helena wondered if he was still sitting up on the roof. She didn't feel it was good for him to be up there all by himself given what was happening.

The mood in the hall was cheery and lighthearted. She knew everyone was putting on a good face for the sake of the twins. She went along with it and for a moment was able to put out of her mind the horrid situation they were facing.

After breakfast the Wayne family changed into their costumes and everyone met in the Batcave for the briefing. Helena brought up several things on the computer monitor and began explaining her plan in detail.

"Using several satellites from Wayne Industries, I've been able to make a map of the camp that Lash built. Its a hundred miles to the southwest of Metropolis. Clark is set to meet with Lash right outside of Metropolis. It will be advantageous to have Lash away from the camp, but Clark, we could probably use your help, and I'll leave it up to you to decide whether you come, or stay away."

"I'll have to see how events unfold," he replied. Helena didn't feel the need to press Superman any more on what he was going to do. She moved on to covering what everyone needed to do.

"It's a large camp, particularly for something that was built in a day, but he had a huge slave force to build it. The camp is encircled by a fence twenty feet high that encompasses a space the size of a large city. Much of what is inside the fence is still open field that is being used as landing ports for all the ships that come and go. Near as I can tell the command center is the large tower that is near one end of the wall. Mom, this is the area you should attack as your diversion. You will have to fly out yourself as we don't want anyone knowing you might have traveled most of the way in something undetectable. The forces of Apokolips appear to be sitting back. I don't think they will attack you unless you make the first move."

"I can do that," she answered simply.

Helena took a deep breath. She had been worried how the older adults would respond to her plan. She was glad they were accepting her proposals.

"With the invisible jet undetectable, Dad and I should be able to put down right in front of the prison. Lois will blast a whole in the facility while Dad and I leap out and enter it. We should then draw the forces at the facility to us. Hopefully, we will have the assistance of several freed superheroes by the time they arrive."

"We are going to have all the forces in the country converging on us when we attack," her father said. "It's not going to be easy. We are going to need that help you're expecting."

Helena knew they were taking on blind faith the part where Maril and Rex showed up with the combined armies of Tamaran and Thanagar. She had faith in her friends, though, she knew they would come. They were going to be ready for them.

Helena gave Barbara her instructions. "Barbara, you can use the Wayne company satellites to scan for the appearance of the Tamaranean and Thanagarian forces. When they arrive, send them a message and tell them to assist us at the prison camp."

Barbara didn't say anything, but nodded her head in indication that she understood her assignment. Everyone else stayed silent for a minute. Helena had nothing else to say and thought someone else might have some questions. When it was clear no one did, she knew it was time for each of them to be on their way.

"We should all get ready to go," she told them. Her parents, Lois, and Clark headed off to due the last minute things they needed to get ready. This left Helena alone with Barbara, a situation she had hoped would happen.

"I need to ask a favor of you," Helena said to woman.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Last night I heard my parents and Lois making a plan behind my back to follow Clark if Lash takes him anywhere. I need to able to follow them, which is why I need you to send the Batwing out to the camp once Maril and Rex arrive. Once their army is here the invasion force won't be paying attention to a lone vehicle and shoot it down.

"I can do that," Barbara said with a smile.

Helena jumped out the Batcave opening and landed in the backyard. She saw her father pacing outside the open door of the jet. He stopped when he saw her. "Ready?" he asked her.

She didn't answer him immediately. She waited until she was right in front of him so she could speak to him in a quiet voice. "There was just one thing I wanted to run by you. We have that piece of Kryptonite in the hidden vault in the medical tent. Do you think it might help to subdue Lash?"

"He's carrying around his own Kryptonite, so it probably woundn't do much to subdue him," her father answered. "We should keep it safe for now. We don't want to lose it. If everything works out here it will be good to have it for the next crisis with a Kryptonian."

Lois flew the jet as Bruce and Helena sat patiently. They followed their course on the console of the jet so they would have something to do. They were very much flying blind and they didn't like it one bit.

Superman and Wonder Woman had taken off before them. They weren't following them with the satellites as they didn't want any signals sent to the jet. Helena worked out estimates when they would reach their destinations and she knew her father would as well. She looked at the path she had tracked for Clark and saw he would be at his rendezvous point with his son by now. She typed a message to her father on her console telling him this. She didn't want Lois to be distracted by any conversation about her husband.

Her father sent her a message it would be two and half minutes until their mother reached the camp; two and half minutes after that they would launch their attack. They felt the plane stop and knew they were hovering above the camp. Lois started their descent. The two of them got out of their chairs and went to the lower deck in preparation. Now that they were alone they could speak freely.

"So what do you think Clark's going to do?" she asked her father.

"He'll find his way here," he answered. "He won't leave us to fight ourselves, even though we'll be fine without him."

Helena wished she could have shared her father's confidence. She knew the odds were stacked against them. There was no telling what condition the rest of the League was in. While she was sure Maril and Rex would show up, she was beginning to doubt what kind of force they would have with them.

"You want the right or the left?" her father asked her.

"Why don't you pick," she replied. "Age before beauty," she said with a smile.

Her father didn't seem so amused. "I'll take the right," he said as he positioned himself in front of the door. Helena took her position next to the other one as the jet rested on the ground.

They could hear the sounds of a battle when they landed. Helena knew her mother was giving them their distraction and hoped she wasn't facing too much at the moment.

"Dad, be careful," she told him with a heavy voice.

"Don't worry about me," he shot back. "When we are out there don't do anything exceptional to protect me. We have a mission to do and it can't be compromised because you're trying to babysit me."

"I'll let you make your mistakes," she replied. "It will be just like old times. Still, can you do your best to stay close to me when we are in the prison?"

"I am going to fire at the prison in five seconds," Lois's voice said over the intercom. "5. . .4. . .3. . ."

Both Helena and her father braced themselves to make a quick exit. "2. . ." They both activated their doors and they slid open. "1. . ." They heard the guns of the ship fire as they jumped out of their doors.

"We are exiting hyperspace now," the admiral of the fleet yelled back to Rex and Maril. Rex and Maril stood side by side, looking out the cockpit window, as Earth came into view. Maril teared up a little, seeing her old home again. She hoped there was enough left to defend.

Maril started worrying about her family and what might have happened to them. All kinds of horrible thoughts filled her head. She reached out and grabbed her husband's arm, then worked her way down and took his hand in hers. The comfort of the touch of a loved one soothed her.

"All the ships are here," the admiral yelled. "I'm not picking up any hostiles on the scanners. We are safe and alone for now, but our ships are scattered all over the place. It might take some time to get them in formation."

"We need information about what is happening on the ground," she yelled to the communications officer. "We should be able to pick up news feeds. They couldn't have shut them all down."

"Ma'm," the officer said with a confused tone. "We're being hailed by someone. And they are using a frequency of yours."

Maril immediately became relieved as she realized it had to be Helena. She let go of her husband's hand and ran to the communication console. The officer leaned back and let her have at the controls. She fiddled around with everything and replied to the hail.

"I'm here, Helena," she said into the communicator.

"This is Barbara, Maril," came the voice from the other end. "Helena asked me to contact you and tell you what to do."

Maril almost cried when she heard her stepmother's voice. She was extremely relieved to know at least one person was okay. "How is everyone?" she asked with apprehension. She knew she should have concentrated on business, but she just had to know about her family."

"Don't worry about us," her stepmother answered. "Helena and her parents need your help immediately. The invasion force built a large camp in the middle of Kansas. They are attacking it right now. She wants you to attack it with as many forces as you can spare. I'll send you all the details we have on it."

"Thanks," Maril replied as she backed away. She tried to put her family out of her mind and focus on the task at hand. The communications officer retook his spot and started working the controls as the information started coming in.

"Put everything on the large viewscreen," she commanded him. A map of the United States appeared with details on the positions of all the armadas of Apokolips as well as the location of the main base Lois had mentioned.

Maril looked it over and knew immediately what they needed to do. "We have to concentrate on the camp, but also protect the major cities. The Royal Fleet will head for the main camp. The rest of you pick an armada to attack and go after it. I trust you can do all this on your own." The captain of every ship radioed in the affirmative as Rex started directing the Royal Fleet in the direction of Kansas.


	30. Chapter 30: Prison Break

**Chapter 30**

As soon as Helena hit the ground she could feel the ship fly up and leave her and her father alone. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a huge hole had been blown into the wall of the prison. She didn't have time to inspect it closely as she unholstered her crossbow and fired stun arrows at the few parademons that were around.

She ran towards the prison, expecting her father to be right on her trail. She didn't feel him around her and looked back to find him. He was far away from her, fighting a parademon in hand to hand combat. Helena was furious at him for not sticking to the plan. A hundred situations where he had told her the importance of sticking to the plan ran through her mind.

"Batman," she yelled at him, careful not to call him dad. He either couldn't hear her, or he was choosing to ignore her. He made no motion towards her, and instead activated the rockets of his boots and flew up to attack a parademon riding a personal hovercraft. She knew she had to keep to the task at hand and ignore him.

Helena ran through the hole that had been blasted in the large metal door of the prison. She found herself in one large room lined with cells. She quickly scanned them to find most of the superheroes relatively okay. Many of the ones with super powers were being held in cells which contained mechanisms to suppress their superpowers. The Flash family was all underneath a massive gravity beam, unable to move. J'onn was wearing a headband that was likely keeping him from decreasing his density so he could pass through the cell door. Several of the heroes with super strength were behind cell doors that appeared to be too well constructed to bust through. It looked like most of the cells were going to have to be hacked open.

"Helena," a familiar voice called to her. She looked in the direction of the voice and saw Connor's father, Oliver calling to her. She wondered if Connor was in the cell with him and her question was immediately answered when he appeared at the cell door. Helena didn't have a clear view of him behind the cell bars, but she could make out a collar around his neck which was likely keeping him from using his destructive roar.

Without thinking she ran to the cell door and grabbed the bars. "Stand back," she yelled at them. She didn't notice whether or not the door was too strong and thick for her to pull it off, she just wanted to get Connor out of there as quickly as possible.

Connor and his father both moved back and she pulled the door off the wall and tossed it aside. Now that she had pulled it off, she was surprised over what she had done.

"They didn't put us in such a strong cell," Oliver answered, as he realized what she was thinking. It was disappointing to know she couldn't just pull off all the cell doors, but she had other things to think about first.

She tore the collar off of Connor's throat and before he could say thanks she gave him a deep kiss on the lips. "Thanks," he replied softly as he rubbed his throat. "Can you get the rest of my family?"

"Just get the collars," he said as she ripped off Theodore's collar. Their mother was sitting on the ground and looked to be in pain, but she still motioned for Helena to rip her collar off. She did so and Ted helped his mother to her feet.

"Is Olivia here?" she asked them.

"She's with Richie a few cells over," Dinah replied in a weak voice. We saw them bring the two of them in here.

"We've got a full army advancing on us," Oliver yelled at them.

"They took our bows and arrows, but we can still break out everyone else," Connor said in a much stronger voice. "Just hold off this army for us."

Helena ran past Connor and his family and out into the open space of the prison. She had wanted to stop and give Connor one last kiss, but thought better of it. When she turned her attention to the hole in the door she saw a line of tanks flanked by parademons slowly advancing towards them. The first tank was right at the prison wall and was beginning to blast open a larger hole for itself.

As Helena ran towards the oncoming tanks she heard Connor's sonic roar and could feel the prison shaking. She could hear the sound of metal clanging against the ground as her friends were beginning to break out of their cells.

Helena reached the first tank and grabbed a hold of it. With all her strength she threw it up in the air. It flipped over and landed on the tank behind it, destroying both of them.

The parademons that had been flanking the tank began firing their weapons at her. She was able to block the beams with her gauntlets, but had no idea how she would counterattack against them. All of a sudden she heard a scream and felt a force pass by her on the right and push back the parademons on that side. Meanwhile, several green blasts of energy took out the ones on her left.

Helena looked back to see Olivia running towards here while Richie flew over her head. An approaching gunship started firing at Richie, but he evaded the blasts before a huge green serpent bit into the ship and threw it to the ground. J'onn reverted to his humanoid form and then flew off after Richie.

"Thanks for coming," Olivia said when she reached Helena. "Who's here?" Several other superheroes passed by them and started engaging the parademons and tanks as they tried to retreat.

"My parents and Superman," she replied. "Richie's dad, the twins, and Barbara are back at the manor. Dick's injured, but alive."

"Thanks," Olivia replied, obviously relieved to hear her in-laws were relatively okay.

Helena looked back at the Queens helping the last of the superheroes out of their cell. "Do me a favor and look after your family. Make sure no one does anything stupid. I need to do the same thing with my family."

Helena didn't wait for any reply before she ran out into the action. The freed Justice League members were more than holding their own. Helena felt free to look for her parents and took off in the direction of the command tower. She saw a tank get tossed from the ground and aimed at a command ship in the sky. The tank tore through the ship and it began descending to the ground. Helena figured her mother had to be responsible for that and headed in that direction.

As she ran through the battle she noticed Offspring had stretched himself out in order to wrap up several parademons. She noticed a gunship heading for him and knew he was presenting an easy target for them. She ran in front of the gunship and blocked the beams it fired. Once again she found her arms singed from the intense energy of the beams.

The gunship flew past them, but before it could circle around a missile appeared out of nowhere and tore it to pieces. Helena knew it was Lois in the invisible jet firing the missiles. Several other gunships were taken out by the weaponry of the jet.

Helena fought and dodged her way in the direction of the command tower. When she was in the vicinity of it she made a huge leap and landed on top of it. From her perch on top of the tower Helena was able to see a good amount of the battlefield. The rescued superheroes had fanned out everywhere and were engaging the forces of Apokolips all over the base. Both superheroes and gunships were flying around. They were attacking each other as well as lending support on the ground for their respective sides.

Helena tried to search for her father, but knew it would be harder than picking a needle out of a haystack. She felt the ground shake. She knew the only thing that could have caused that was Superman battling with his son. If they were here it meant this battle just got a lot more serious.

Helena's attention was grabbed by the sound of a struggle below. She went to the edge of the roof and looked over it to see her mother taking on three large battle robots. She was doing well, but Helena saw a gunship heading for her. She leaped the hundred feet over to the gunship, landing directly on the cockpit. She punched the glass out and grabbed the parademon pilot.

The parademon pilot responded to the attack by aiming the ship for the ground and heading there at full speed. Helena initially thought she had no reason to stop the ship if the pilot was intent on destroying it himself, but when she looked at where they were headed she saw they were making a kamikaze strike at her mother. She was engaged with a battle robot and had her back turned to them.

Helena had a mere second to act and launched herself at her mother. She landed on her back and knocked her down. Still holding on to her she rolled them around on the ground under the feet of the robot and away from the ship as it impacted the ground. After they had evaded the crashing ship Helena stopped, got to her feet, and attacked the battle robot. She knocked it to the ground and then jumped on it and tore off its head.

"You enjoyed that too much," her mother said to her as she got to her feet.

"Even Dad would have been more appreciative," she said to her. It felt good to Helena to enjoy a little family moment in the midst of the chaos all around them.

Their moment was immediately interrupted by the sound of a boom tube. Helena and her mother both braced themselves against the gale of wind that came from it. Four female furies walked through and the opening behind them disappeared.

"It's good to see we didn't get here too late," a red-headed fury said.

"We were afraid most of the superheroes would be killed before we could make it," another one with dirty blond hair said.

"It's a little harder to kill us then you might think," Helena said in reply to them. Her mother shot her a disapproving look. "Like you never made a snappy comeback."

The Female Furies didn't care about their conversation and rushed right at them. Two attacked Helena, and two charged at her mother. Helena let the two Furies attack her with their swords while she blocked their attacks with her gauntlets. She was letting them attack her like that so she could study them and learn their techniques.

Her mother, on the other hand, took a much more aggressive approach to the battle. She counterattacked before the first fury reached her and kicked her back. As the other one swung at her she flew up and out of her range. She then came down behind her, grabbed her, and threw her in the direction she had kicked the first Fury. She ran after the two of them and Helena lost sight of her as she had to concentrate on the two she was facing.

The two Furies Helena was facing pushed her back towards the command center. The wall had been destroyed earlier in the battle and the ground was covered with its rubble. Helena had to be careful as she stepped around the rubble. She wondered if the plan had been to force her onto the rubble and wait for her to stumble.

Helena stumbled slightly and one of the Furies took a swing she was unable to block. She was able to dodge it, but not completely. The sword tore through her holster and caused her crossbow to fall out and onto the rubble.

Helena got an idea to use the rubble to her advantage. She had a good idea on how the two of them attacked and knew what they were trying to do. She pretended to stumble and the two Furies took a moment to change their attacks and go in for the killing blow.

Helena had expected this pause and used it to her advantage. Since she wasn't really stumbling she was able to gather herself much quicker then they had expected. She counterattacked before they could deliver their major blows. She kicked one Fury and knocked her straight back. The other Fury received a major punch in the chin that made her drop her blades and stumble back.

Helena grabbed one of the blades the Fury had dropped and jumped straight up. She came down on top of the Fury she had kicked seconds earlier. Helena held the blade to her throat as she barked at the girl. "You better hope your friends value your life enough to surrender."

"Actually, it is your mother who better hope you value her life enough," a gruff female voice yelled. Helena looked up to see her mother on her knees with her hands tied behind her back. She was powerless now. The other end of the rope was held by one of the Furies that had been fighting her earlier. The other Fury that had been part of the combat was holding a blade to her mother's neck. From the look on her mother's face Helena could tell she was in fear for her life. She was trembling, but doing her best to fight back any tears.

"Lash made sure we studied up on every superhero and knew their weaknesses. The file he gave us on your mother certainly proved to be accurate. And as for you, we know you're not a killer. You might as well give it up and let go of Precious there.

Helena glanced down at the Fury underneath her and pushed the blade against her neck a little more. The Fury knew what was best for her and didn't make any attempt to fight back. With her life on the line, she didn't seem to be willing to take a chance.

Helena's attention was diverted by the sound of rustling in the nearby rubble. Helena looked over to see the Fury she had nearly knocked out slowly getting to her feet. She was obviously woozy, but steady enough to find the blade Helena had not retrieved. She grabbed it and walked over to join her compatriots.

When Helena watched the Fury retrieve her blade, she saw her crossbow lying in the rubble. The end was pointed right at the Furies holding her mother. Helena saw a way to save her mother and went about formulating her plan. It was going to require quick action on her part, but she knew she could do it.

Her heart started pumping furiously as it sunk in her mother's life was on the line. She nearly started hyperventilating, but she got herself under control. She had trouble concentrating, but was able to think hard enough to get a flash arrow to appear in her crossbow. She slowly reached into her utility belt with her free hand and pulled out a batarang. She once again assessed the situation as she readied to make her attack.


	31. Chapter 31: Reinforcements

**Chapter 31**

The blade was being held against Diana's neck so tightly she had to keep her head held up and back. It made it difficult for her to see her daughter, but she did her best to keep her eyes down and on Helena. Diana was amazed the girl showed no fear. There was a determination on her face as she appeared to be thinking through a solution.

Diana knew her daughter would never simply give in, no matter how much they threatened her life. Diana knew that like her father, Helena believed there was no situation she couldn't think and fight her way out of. It was a double-edged trait that often got them in trouble even though they were mostly successful with their plans. Diana just prayed that whatever Helena did, she would survive. She didn't want her failure to be the cause of the death of her daughter.

Diana saw Helena reach into her belt and immediately knew something was about to happen. She was surprised the Furies around her didn't react, but they didn't know Helena well enough to recognize she was carrying out a plan. They continued to do nothing as Helena fired a Batarang towards the rubble. The Batarang hit the crossbow's trigger and launched an arrow in their direction. It exploded above them and released a blinding light.

Diana knew the light was to serve as a distraction for Helena's attack. She kept her eyes closed and moved back to make sure the Fury holding the blade didn't accidentally slice her neck. Diana felt warm blood splash across her. She no longer felt the blade against her neck. She heard the sound of Helena's boots hit the ground as her daughter landed behind her.

Helena kicked her mother to the ground to keep her safe and out of the way. She had done it too hard, though, and Diana gritted her teeth in pain as the spot on her back where her daughter planted her boot burned with pain. Unable to use her arms to break her fall, she also hit the ground hard. The side of her face stung where it hit the dirt.

Diana could hear her daughter yell as she kicked the Fury who had been holding onto her lasso. The woman still held it as she fell back. She tugged at Diana a bit, but the force of the kick ultimately made her let go of it. Holding on to the rope had helped her retain her balance, though. It proved to be an advantage for Helena as it gave her a nice standing target to attack. Helena made a powerful swing with the blade and decapitated the fury. The blood that sprayed out from the Fury's neck splashed over Helena.

The last fury standing saw what had happened to her compatriots and tried to flee. Helena wouldn't let her go and ran after her. She caught up to the Fury quickly and kicked her in the back to knock her down. Helena stood over the warrior and brought up her blade.

Diana wanted to tell her daughter to stop. She wanted to tell her that was not the way they operated. She tried to yell to Helena but no sound came out of her mouth.

Diana flinched as Helena forced her blade down into the back of the Fury. Her body went motionless as Helena stabbed her in the heart. After confirming the girl was dead, Helena yanked the blade out of her body. She looked down at the vanquished warrior as she held the blade by her side. The blood on the blade slowly dripped off and onto the ground.

The ground shook slightly from something that happened in the battle and it broke Helena out of her temporary daze. She looked back at her mother lying helplessly on the ground. She ran over to her and dropped the blade on the ground in front of her mother. Diana took a close look at the blade that had done so much damage.

"Hang on," her daughter said to her as she knelt behind her. She started undoing the knot of the lasso. "No one else is paying any attention to us luckily. We're safe for now."

As Helena worked at her bonds Diana looked around at the carnage. She suddenly remembered there had been a fourth Fury and she looked around for it. Her eyes quickly came across the woman's body lying in a pool of blood. Helena had apparently sliced her throat open as the first move in her attack.

Helena worked her hands free and Diana could immediately fell her power returning to her. As she pushed herself up she winced slightly as her back still hurt her.

"Sorry Mom, I guess I really kicked you too hard there." Helena was trying to hide it, but Diana could tell she was scanning her body to make sure she was all right.

"I'm okay, honey," she said to try and reassure her. Diana copied her daughter and inspected her body to make sure she was okay. She had blood splattered on her from the attacks she made, but no wounds. Diana was surprised how well her daughter was holding up after killing four women.

As Diana continued scanning her daughter she noticed things going dark suddenly. She looked up to see the sky completely filled with warships. It was so full Helena could hardly see a speck of sky. It appeared that Lash's reinforcements had come in for the battle.

"We're hovering above the camp, Your Highness," the admiral said to Maril.

Maril should have admonished the admiral for only addressing her and not Rex as well. They had much larger worries then such formalities, however. "What do the scanners show?"

The officer at the station revealed what he saw. "The area over the camp is filled with ships. It's impossible to see through them and to the camp itself. I have no idea what is happening on the ground."

"It doesn't matter, if we have to go down and wing it, we will do just that. Is there any indication we have been spotted."

"They are starting to turn in our direction."

Maril thought for a moment about what they needed to do. She wanted to get the troops on the ground as soon as possible. With all those airships over the camp it was going to be hard to get the transports to the ground. Maril smiled as she remembered all the Tamaranian and Thanagarian troops could fly.

"What are you smiling about?" Rex asked her.

"Do you trust me to make a decision here myself?" she asked her husband as she didn't want to leave him out of any decision making.

"I will back you up on any decision you make," he replied.

"Send the order to the transports to release their troops now. They are going to have to fly to the ground themselves. Have the warships cover us on the way down." She took a look over at Rex and broadened her smile. "Do you want to be my wingman for the attack?" she asked him.

"I will follow you anywhere," he replied.

Helena took a deep breath as she looked up and saw the airships that filled the sky. This was the big counterattack they had been expecting. She hoped the League was ready for it.

Helena's thoughts turned to her mother and whether or not she was okay. If she wasn't, Helena was going to have to find a way to get her to safety and away from the fighting. She looked down at her mother and extended a hand to her. "Need help getting up?" she asked.

Her mother took her hand and Helena pulled her up. She watched her mother's motions carefully to look for any sign of injury. She appeared to move fine.

"I'm fine," Diana said as she knew exactly what Helena was doing. She wiped some dirt off herself as she returned to sizing up the attack force that had come after them.

"You've dealt with Apokolips before," Helena began. "What do you think they're going to do?"

"Just launch a chaotic all-out assault," Diana answered.

As the two of them looked up at the sky they saw the lower airships beginning to fire indiscriminately at the ground. The airships at all levels opened their bay doors. Battle robots and parademons began falling out and descending to the ground.

Helena's mother flew up to meet them and her daughter shouted after her. "Mom," she shouted. Her mother ignored her. Helena seethed with anger as she braced herself for the forces to land. She took another look at the fleet above them and saw some of the ships in the upper level were turning away from the ground and up to the sky. She immediately started thinking that they might be turning to face the Tamaraneans. She tried to put that thought out of her mind as she didn't want to get her hopes up.

She turned her attention back to her mother and watched her as she flew straight up and was met by a falling robot. The robot grabbed onto Diana and she tried to fight her off. She was unable to do so as a second and a third robot grabbed onto her. The weight of the three and the stress of fighting them caused her to slowly start falling back to the ground.

Helena was worried about her mother, but couldn't do anything. She couldn't afford to watch what happened to her mother either as the robots and parademons were starting to land on the ground. She ran to the nearest robot and jumped on its back. It flailed around as it tried to reach back and grab her.

Helena tore one of its arms off and threw it at a nearby parademon, knocking it to the ground. She looked back up at the sky to try and find what was happening to her mother when she saw several of the airships being rocked by explosions. Someone was firing at them from above. Helena's heart leapt up into her chest. She now knew that Maril and Rex were up there. She let out a yell of joy.

Helena turned her attention back to the robot she had grabbed onto. She ripped off its other arm and fired it at another parademon. She looked back up into the sky and saw Tamaranean and Thanagarian troops falling around the airships and firing at the parademons and robots coming out of them.

Helena tore the head off the battle robot and it fell to the ground, unable to do anything. She started attacking the parademons around her as the Tamaranean and Thanagarian troops flew overhead. With the arrival of Maril's forces, Helena figured the skies would be safe enough for the Batwing to make it out to Kansas. She activated the homing beacon on her belt. She hoped that Barbara remembered what to do.

The robots and parademons were greatly confused by having to watch for both troops in the air and superheroes on the ground. If they went after a superhero on the ground they found themselves taken out by the blaster of a flying troop. If they fired at the troops firing around they found themselves torn to pieces by a superhero.

With the aid of the Tamaraneans and Thanagarians, Helena quickly took out most of the parademons and robots around her. She saw several parademons running for the safety of the command tower and followed them in through the hole that had been blown in the wall. She carefully stepped around the dead bodies of the Furies she had killed moments earlier, grabbing her crossbow as she went inside. She followed them room to room, knocking them out one at a time. Just as she took out the last one she felt the tower shake as she heard one of the outer walls take a major hit. She wondered if it was her mother or Superman, and headed for where she had heard the destruction.


	32. Chapter 32: Fortress

**Chapter 32**

Superman had been fighting his son for some time now. The two of them were evenly matched and neither could gain an upper hand on the other. When Superman saw the arrival of the Tamaraneans and Thanagarians, he thought he would be able to get Lash to surrender once he saw his forces decimated.

Lash appeared to get angry over the arrival of the League's reinforcements and took it out on Superman. Lash started moving faster and punching him more furiously. Superman was able to hold his own for a short while, but eventually he found himself succumbing to his son's relentless force.

Lash was able to get a really good hit in against his father and Superman flew back and crashed through a wall of the command tower. When he hit the ground he tried to get up immediately, but felt too weak to move at all. He recognized the feeling well, he was being hurt by kryptonite.

Superman looked up to see his son walking towards him, a green glow emanating from his belt. Superman began coughing as his breathing became labored. He saw Lash walk behind him and grab something. He looked up to see Lash strapping a small jet pack to his back.

"I didn't want to resort to this, but having to use Kryptonite to subdue you leaves me no choice." When he was finished with the jet pack he grabbed Superman and activated it. The two of them flew off at a great speed.

Helena reached the fresh hole just in time to see Lash blasting off with Superman apparently attached to him. The Tamaranean and Thanagarian soldiers took notice of them, but they recognized Superman and were unsure what to do.

Helena saw her mother flying after them. She apparently didn't have such hesitancies about what to do. As she closed in on them Lash found another gear on his jet pack and started putting distance between himself and Wonder Woman. Helena then saw a door open in the sky, flying alongside her mother. She went through the door and it disappeared. She immediately recognized it as the invisible jet and guessed her father was aboard as well. Her parents were carrying out the plan they had set for themselves.

Helena knew she had to follow the jet and she had to do it quick. Following them alone wasn't her first choice, but she didn't have time to put a team together. The homing beacon on her belt beeped as it indicated the Batwing was close. She ran towards the camp's wall, took a big leap, and landed on top of it. She used the wall as a springboard to jump higher and farther. She located her homing beacon and pressed the button to open the Batwing's cockpit.

The Batwing came into view and stopped under her. She fell into the open cockpit and strapped herself in the seat as she closed it up. She took off straight north; the direction she had seen Lash fly off with Superman.

Helena needed to know exactly where they were going, and the only way she knew to find that out was to try and track the invisible jet that was following Lash and Superman. There was one way to track the jet, and that was to look for its unique exhaust stream. This made the jet trackable, but only to someone who knew exactly what to look for.

From the Batwing, Helena was able to access everything in the Wayne Enterprise's system, including their satellites. She quickly had every satellite with the proper capability scanning the Earth's atmosphere for the unique exhaust signature of the invisible jet. She found the exhaust stream pointing in the direction of the North Pole. She didn't need to follow it anymore to realize they were headed for the Fortress of Solitude.

Diana flew into the jet's open door and closed it behind her. She took a moment to rest as she could feel the jet speeding off in order to keep up with Lash and Superman. She didn't feel physically exhausted as much as mentally spent. She was still upset from the close call she had that required her daughter to kill four Furies.

She headed up to the cockpit and took a seat at the scanning controls. Bruce and Lois didn't pay her much attention at first; they were both concentrating on keeping Lash in their sites and keeping up with him. She wondered if he knew they were following him.

Bruce took a quick glance back at her and had to do a double-take when he saw what condition she was in. "What happened to you?" he barked at her.

"I got in a little scuffle," she said to him. She could see the concern on his face. "I'm okay," she yelled back at him as she knew he was concentrating on the blood splattered on her face and shoulders. "None of this is mine."

"Whose is it?" he asked. The look of concern on his face changed to one of skepticism.

"It doesn't concern you," she yelled back at him. "We have other things to worry about." She couldn't tell him about what their daughter had done. He had always insisted that Helena never kill. While Diana had never been as absolutist on the issue as Bruce, she had always wished Helena would never have to make that decision to take the life of another.

Bruce was willing to let it rest and he turned his attention to following after Lash and Superman. Diana looked at the scanners to see what information they had. The computer recognized the ground they were flying over as the Northwest Territory of Canada. They appeared to be heading towards the Fortress of Solitude, but it could have easily been a ruse. They had to stay on his tail to make sure.

Bruce moved away from Lois and took another seat. "I should have expected this," he said. "I have should have prepared for going to the Fortress."

"We know the Fortress," she reminded him.

"I need to refresh my memory about some things," he snarled.

Diana got up from her seat and walked up behind Lois. She could see intensity on her face as she worked to keep the jet following her husband. Diana knew full well the terror she had to be feeling.

"I can take the controls if you want," she said to her friend as she laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not giving them up," Lois replied. Diana could sense the grit and determination in the woman's voice.

She thought Lois would be better off left alone. She went back to he previous spot and punched a few buttons on the computer in front of her to access the Wayne satellites. She wanted to see if her daughter was following them, but refrained from doing so. She knew Helena would be livid that they took off without her. The previous night she, Lois, and Bruce had made the plan to follow Superman wherever he went. They knew he would need their help. Diana was the one who insisted Helena be left out. This was their fight, not hers. The three of them would work together just fine. Diana went over all the reasons they had left out Helena and they got less and less convincing. Deep down Diana hoped Helena had found a way to follow them. They might just need her help after all.

Lash could feel the intense cold of the North Pole affecting his father as they flew over the ice. He knew that normally his father didn't feel intense cold or heat, so this was relatively new to him. Lash smiled that this would further make him submissive to him.

Lash slowed down as the Fortress came in view. He stopped in front of the pool that acted as the entrance to the fortress. He let his father drop to the ground as he took off the jetpack quickly. He knew the Justice League had numerous ways to follow him and he wanted to work fast in case anyone tried to disturb him.

Lash had other reasons for working fast as well. He wanted to have all his powers when he entered the fortress. He wasn't sure what kinds of defenses it had. He flipped down the lid of the lead compartment so the Kryptonite was hidden. He knew his father would need a few minutes before he regained his strength. Lash was immediately at full strength, though.

Lash lifted his father off the ground and flew through the pool, coming out on the inside of the Fortress. He paused on the other side, waiting to see what the Fortress's defenses would do. From the information they had, the scanners should have been able to recognize Superman, and when they did they would deactivate, no matter what state they found him.

Lash was unable to detect anything making a move on them, so he began walking the long hallway towards the main hall with the computer. He opened the compartment again so the Krpytonite was weakening his father. When he reached the main hall he immediately focused on the computer that stood under the monument to Jor-El and Lara. He jumped over to the ledge it was on and looked over it.

Brainiac of course saw everything that he did. _I recognize the basis of the crystal technology_, he said to Lash. Brainiac instructed him on what to do, and he worked the controls of it. After he had entered a few commands a scanner protruded out from the crystal panel. Lash grabbed his father's head and held his eyes up to it. The scanner recognized Superman and pulled back as the voice Jor-El welcomed him.

No longer needing his father it was time for Lash to permanently subdue him. He threw him to the ground and grabbed the Kryptonite off his belt. He crushed it in his hand so that it was little more then dust. He then held his hand up to Superman's nose and mouth so he was forced to breath in the dust.

Lash held his hand against his father's face long enough to make sure all the dust worked its way into his lungs. He then threw him back on the ground to leave him coughing and weazing. He went back to the computer and let Brainiac guide his hand so they could find the information they needed.

Bruce, Lois, and Diana all sat quietly as they looked at the entrance of the fortress. They had seen Lash and Superman disappear inside moments earlier. They were all waiting for someone to speak with a plan as to what their next move should be.

As usual, Bruce took the initiative. "We should go in and follow him. Lash will be occupied by whatever it is he wants in there. He is also in an enclosed space and it will be hard for him to get away. We need to make these things work to our advantage."

"Bruce is right," Diana said in agreement as she looked at Lois. "You should stay here and watch the entrance, if Lash makes it out use all the weaponry against him. He can't be allowed to escape."

Lois nodded in agreement. If she was left to face Lash on her own she would have little chance of winning, but Diana knew she had to have something to focus on to feel useful. The thoughts of what might be happening to her husband had to be driving her insane.

Bruce and Diana walked down to the lower deck together. "Any ideas on how to take on Lash when we get in there?" she asked her husband.

"I tried to observe Clark's fight with Lash at the camp," he began. "I didn't notice any special patterns or weaknesses out of Lash. I have nothing more to offer beyond the old strategies we developed for fighting a super-powered Kryptonian."

Diana thought back to their battles with Zod and his two minions, when she had first come to live in man's world and take up the mantle of a superhero. With that fight they had very much lucked out by finding a way to send them back to the phantom zone. Their team had been able to do little against the three super villains. While the odds in this fight were better in their favor, it still seemed there might be little for them to do to subdue Superman's son.

Diana opened one of the doors of the jet and jumped out, along with Bruce. She noticed Bruce shiver as the cold got to him. He put his mask on and after a few seconds seemed to be more comfortable.

"Do you have a heating system in that suit?" she asked him.

"One of the latest things I added. I also made it waterproof, for situations such as this."

They reached the pool entrance and they each paused for moment. "Do you want me to fly you through?" she asked her husband.

"That would probably be best," he answered. She picked him up and quickly went through the pool entrance. They came out on the other side and paused to assess the situation. The fortress's defenses were set to recognize them, so they didn't have to worry about that.

Bruce took a step and started walking down the hallway as his wife followed him. They started moving slowly, but when no sign of danger showed itself they started moving more briskly, and eventually started running towards the main hall.

"_I'm detecting the presence of two intruders_," Brainiac informed Lash. "The computer of the Fortress recognizes them as Batman and Wonder Woman."

"What do you want me to do?" he asked the computer.

"_Just continue to work at the computer and don't pay attention to them when you hear them come in. They will attack you and then you can just do your thing to fight them off. I trust you_."

"It's about time," Lash replied. The information Brainiac had been looking for flashed in front of them. Brainiac copied everything that Lash's eyes saw.

Helena brought the Batwing to a stop a slight distance from the Fortress. She figured her parents were already in there and on their way to confronting Lash. She knew he wouldn't simply be able to escape by using a Boom Tube in the Fortress. She opened the cockpit and immediately felt the cool North Pole wind blow across her face and body.

She stepped out and stood on the edge of the Batwing surveying the landscape. The cold wind continued to blow and caused her cape to flutter. She didn't see any sign of her parents, but did see indentations in the snow near the entrance that indicated where the invisible jet was waiting.

She was a bit surprised Lois and her parents would be so sloppy as to give themselves away like that, but she knew they probably weren't thinking straight due to their concern over Clark. They really should have brought her along and made her take the lead as she was actually able to keep a clear mind now.

Helena estimated from the indentations in the snow where the cockpit of the jet must be. She jumped right to the spot and heard the clang of her boots hitting the metal. She looked and saw herself suspended in mid-air. She took a light swing where she thought the windshield would be and heard the bang when she hit it.

"Let me in," she yelled. "I need to talk to you."

She saw a door slide open and she jumped through it. She landed in the cockpit to find Lois waiting for her. "I'm sorry, Helena," she began. "Your parents wanted you kept out of this, and I wasn't going to question them as I needed them to help Clark."

"You should have realized the best thing for your husband was to have me watching his back."

"I'm not questioning that now. I want you to help. I know how you can get in undetected. The computer systems of the fortress are programmed to not recognize your parents as threats, but you are different. You will need to go in through Kara's old private entrance. She insisted that there be no surveillance of that area."

"Is it hard to get in?" Helena asked.

"You'll need to be able to lift a key that was designed to be so heavy only someone with the strength of a Kryptonian can do it. It's small, but incredibly dense. Do you think you can do it?"

Helena looked at her gauntlets. "Yeah, I can do it."

"Good, go to the ledge on the southeast side of the fortress. Feel around the crystals until you find the holographic one. The mirage is hiding the key. Just stick it in the keyhole of the fortress wall and it will open for you."

Helena immediately jumped out of the jet. She saw little reason to thank Lois for her help. She made it to the ledge Lois told her about in two leaps. She ran her hand along the jagged crystals and found her hand could pass through one of the spires. She stuck them both through and could feel the key.

She grabbed it at both ends and tried lifting it. She lifted it an inch and it proved so heavy she had to drop it.

She continued breathing heavily as she thought about how she could carry it. She grabbed the key again and slid it over to the edge of the rock. When it was there she braced herself and put her arms around it. She pulled it off the rock and held it against her chest as she carefully walked over to the door. She started sweating and grunting over the exertion of carrying the thing.

She became exhausted carrying it the six feet to the door. When she reached it she summoned the last of her strength and hoisted the key up into the lock. She paused for a moment to regain some energy as the door opened automatically for her.

She stepped through it cautiously, as she wasn't sure that Lois might be right. She was afraid Clark might have made changes she didn't know about. When she took a few steps in and didn't meet any automated defenses, she figured she was safe.

Helena walked into the hall and couldn't help but notice the blinding lights that were coming from the room to her right. Despite the knowledge her parents needed her she couldn't suppress the curiosity she had to take a look at the hibernating body of Supergirl, someone she had only seen in old videos. She was encased in glass, naked as that would help her body absorb more sun rays. She looked like she was sleeping peacefully, though her body showed no signs of breathing or performing any other functions. Realizing she had more important things to do, she ran down the hall to the main control room.

As Diana and Bruce reached the end of the hallway they slowed down. While they weren't sure, they had a feeling Lash was in the control room. It was likely he was after something in there. They approached the doorway one slow step at a time in order to be as quiet as possible to minimize the chance Lash would hear them.

When they were a few feet from the doorway Diana stopped. She knew Bruce was much better at the stealth thing and she could just let him report back to her. He walked to the doorway, hugging the wall. He slowly moved his head forward so he could see just far enough inside the room. He saw Lash working over the controls of the computer, oblivious to their presence. He saw Clark lying on the floor next to him, obviously feeling the effects of Kryptonite. Bruce immediately formulated a plan for taking him out. He knew if they could keep Lash around the Kryptonite, the two of them could beat him easily.

Bruce walked over to his wife and told her the situation. "Lash is at the computer and doesn't realize we are here. He has Clark subdued with Kryptonite and he himself is without his Kryptonian powers now. This should give us the opportunity to defeat him. I will swing over there with one of my grappling hooks. He probably won't see me as much of a threat and will be willing to fight me even around Kryptonite. When I have him engaged and distracted, you are to fly over and complete the job. He should go down without too much trouble."

To Diana, Bruce's plan sounded good. She had no holes to poke in it other than the fact that it all seemed to easy. She had a feeling that it just couldn't be this easy for them. Were they really going to be able to catch Lash off guard in the presence of Kryptonite like this?

Without having to worry about Lash hearing them, the two of them walked to the control room entrance. Bruce jumped into the air and fired his rocket boots. He aimed himself directly at Lash.

Both Bruce and Diana were utterly shocked when Lash turned around the computer and flew right at Bruce. Diana had to react quickly and she flew right at Lash with no thought as to what she was going to do when she met him. Lash had expected Diana's reaction and gave her a roundhouse kick when she reached him. She went flying back into the wall.

Diana had succeeded in protecting her husband. He had been able to maneuver around the two of them and reach the ledge with the computer on it. Bruce knew Lash would turn around and attack him, but he believed he had just enough time to throw away the Kryptonite that was subduing Superman. The instant Clark was free of the effects of the Kryptonite he would be able join the fight, even if it took a short amount of time to reach full strength.

Bruce ran over to his friend and turned him over. He scanned the ground where Superman had been laying and found nothing. Before Bruce could ask Clark where the Kryptonite was, Lash was on top of him. Bruce's heart sank as he realized his time was up. Lash grabbed Bruce and through him as hard as he could at the nearby wall.

Bruce hit the crystal hard, but the shock absorbers of the suit drained all the energy of the impact. Unfortunately, the suit's power was completely drained by the work of the shock absorbers. There was no power for Bruce to activate his boot thrusters as he fell the great distance to the pool of water below. When he hit the ice cold water there was no power in the suit to activate the heating mechanisms. Bruce could feel his body temperature dropping rapidly and reached for a grappling hook to try and get out.

Diana was flying back to take on Lash at top speed when she saw her husband thrown against the wall. She saw him take a blow harder than anything she had known him to experience before. He started falling to the water below, his body limp.

In any fight they were supposed to worry about the mission and the villain first. Saving each other could come later. They had to depend on each other to be able to take care of themselves. Diana knew this, but she saw her husband in such dire straits she just had to try and save him. She believed she could swoop down, grab Bruce, and fly him to safety all while avoiding Lash.

She flew in Bruce's direction, but before she could reach him Lash rammed into her at a great rate of speed. She was thrown back against one of the walls and Lash was on top of her again before she could recover. He grabbed her and spun her around, letting go of her at a point so she was thrown onto the computer ledge next to Superman. Lash flew over her and then did a pile driver maneuver right on top of her head, making her woozy. Momentarily subdued, he grabbed her and flew straight up with her. He held her over his head. Diana could have simply flown out of his grip, but she was too dazed to realize what was happening.

Lash threw Diana down on the computer console with all his might. The console was flat, but had several crystals to serve as controls sticking out of it. When Diana landed on the console the crystal protrusions tore right through her body. She howled out as she experienced a level of pain she had not felt in over two millennia. One crystal cut through her lower right leg, another through her left thigh. Her torso had three crystals sticking through it: one on the right side of her waist just under her stomach, another one a foot higher on her body, and the third ran through the bottom of her shoulder and came out just above her left breast. Her right arm was held in place by a crystal that had torn through her elbow. Her head and her left arm were the only parts of her body untouched.

The pain she was feeling from the impalement had brought her out of her daze. She lifted her head up slightly so she could examine the wounds on her body. She saw the blood seeping out of the wounds and began to feel woozy again. She laid her head back as she realized she was beaten. She wondered if Lash would finish her off or leave her there to die slowly.

As she laid there growing weak she thought about her husband, her daughter, and her family back on Themyscira. She knew Bruce would die with her and that Helena would curse them for their hubris and stupidity. She thought about how proud she was of her daughter. Nothing Diana had done in her two and a half thousand years of life had been as meaningful as raising her.

Bruce's shaking hand found a grappling hook on his utility belt. The cold water was affecting him so much he could feel himself going into shock. He knew he didn't have much time. Kicking his legs furiously to stay afloat he aimed his hook at the ceiling and fired. It grabbed onto a stalactite, but before he could usethe hook to pull himself up, Lash used his heat vision to burn through the rope. The lower end of the rope fell back down onto Bruce.

Shaking violently, Bruce looked around for some other way to safety. He saw a crystal rock in the water by the cliff he thought he could grab on to. With difficulty he was able to swim through the ice cold water over to it. He pulled enough of his body on top of it so that as he went into shock and lost consciousness he wouldn't slip under the water and drown.

While he should have been thinking about his impending death he couldn't let himself believe the end was near. He was sure there would be some way out of this, there always was. Instead of spending his last moments thinking about his family, he was thinking about how they would defeat Lash once he made it out.

Lash hovered near the ceiling of the control room and surveyed the damage he had caused. Batman was a hundred feet below him, freezing to death in a pool of ice water. Wonder Woman was impaled on the console of the computer, twitching as the life slowly left her. His father was just below her, lying on the ground, motionless, the Kryptonite in his lungs working to suffocate him.

"_We should go outside so we can activate a Boom Tube and return to Apokolips,"_ Brainiac said to Lash in his head.

Lash continued looking down at his vanquished opponents. He couldn't just leave this great victory he had achieved. Especially the one he had achieved over his father. He wanted something more; he wanted to finish off his father personally.

Lash flew back down to the ledge with the computer. He stood over his father and relished his suffering. He gave him a kick in the chest, but Superman was too weak to make any sound in pain.

Lash wanted to finish him off and tore a sharp piece of crystal off a nearby stalagmite. He stood over his father and raised the crystal shard high above his head. He was going to bring it down and through his father's heart when he felt something wrap around his arm and pull it back. He whirled around with the tug on his arm to see who was now trying to fight him.


	33. Chapter 33: Rescue

**Chapter 33**

Helena made it to the control room just in time to see Lash break off a crystal shard from a larger rock. When she saw him standing over Superman she instantly knew what he was going to do. She pulled out her crossbow and thought of an arrow with a hook that could wrap around his arm. She saw her mother impaled on the computer near Superman and did her best to put her suffering out of her mind as she aimed her crossbow. She was able to hold her hand steady as she fired it and the end of her arrow wrapped around Lash's hand. She dropped the crossbow as she held on to her end of the rope and yanked on Lash's hand. She realized she was only able to pull his hand back because she had surprised him. He was not going to let that happen again, so she dropped the rope.

She started jumping from one crystal platform to another in order to make her way over to the computer. Lash flew directly at her, as she expected. She was in the air when he reached her. He held a hand out so he could grab her and drive her into the wall. Helena anticipated this and grabbed his hand and pushed herself onto his back. She knew she was at a disadvantage fighting him since he could fly and she couldn't. The best way for her to fight him was to hold on to him and never let him go.

Right before they hit the wall, Lash stood vertical and turned around so Helena slammed against the crystal wall. She hit it so hard so put a big dent in the otherwise smooth crystal surface. Lash flew out a few feet so he could knock her against the wall again. At the last possible second Helena slid around to Lash's front so he slammed against the wall.

Lash moved away from the wall again and Helena wrapped her legs around him and she began to squeeze with all her might. His body felt like it was made of indestructible steel, but from the look on his face Helena could tell she was causing him a good deal of pain. She gave him a good punch right in the forhead and saw a piece of Brainiac break off of his forehead and fall to the ground below.

Lash starting trying to punch her in the face as well. Helena was able to re-direct most of them, but he did land a few blows. She punched back and landed a few hits on him herself.

With her distracted, Lash thought he might be able to slam her into the wall again. Once again she flipped herself over him and held onto his back as he slammed himself into the wall. Helena grabbed a hold of his right arm and held it behind him in a manner that caused him great pain. She took advantage of the uneven wall they had created. She hooked each foot into an indentation in the wall while with her free hand she grabbed onto a short handhold in the wall.

Lash was in pain from his arm, but he still pushed against Helena with as much force as he could muster. Helena was trying to hold on in the hope Lash would eventually give up. She didn't realize how much force he could fly with. While Helena was able to maintain her grip on the wall, the crystal proved to be not so tough. The crystal that was anchoring her to the wall broke and the two of them together raced across the control room at great speed. Helena felt too exhausted to do anything else at the moment and let go of Lash and fell to safety on a ledge below.

Lash stopped above her. He appeared just as exhausted as she was. The two of them sized each other up for a moment before Lash flew away.

"_We have everything we need,"_ Brainiac was screaming in Lash's head. "_We don't need to worry about her. Let's just get out of here."_ Lash did as he was instructed and flew away and to the entrance. He went through the pool and flew straight up into the air so he was far above the North Pole. He activated a Boom Tube and went through it as something started firing at him from the ground below.

When Helena saw Lash fly away she knew she had no means to chase him. All she could do now was try to save her parents and Superman. She knew where her mother and Superman were, but had not seen her father at all. He was obviously the most vulnerable and a million horrible things ran through her mind as she tried to look around for any sign of him.

She saw the grappling hook with half a rope attached to it and jumped over to the ledge near it. She looked over the cliff and saw her father holding on to a rock at the edge of a pool of water. She knew the water had to be ice cold and that her father was likely suffering from hypothermia. She had no idea how long he had been down there and she was so scared for him she jumped down to the water below without thinking.

She landed in the water and took note of how cold it was. She would be okay no matter how cold it was, but she knew it had to be wreaking havoc on her father's body. She swam over to him and yelled at him, but he was unresponsive and shivering.

She pulled him off the rock and then pulled herself up onto it as she held on to him so he wouldn't sink in the water. She then pulled him up onto the rock with her. His body felt ice cold against hers.

Helena reached for her crossbow and cursed herself when she realized she had dropped it. She knew she was going to have to get her father out the hard way. She worked her feet up on to the rock and stood up, still holding her father against her. She bent her knees and took a forceful leap straight up. She made it just high enough to grab onto the ledge with one hand.

The powers of her gauntlet gave her enough strength to dig her fingers into the hard Kryptonian crystal. She knew she could pull herself up, but was going to need both hands to do it. She looked at her father and hoped he would be okay if she tossed him up.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you even more," she said as she pushed him up and over the ledge. She then grabbed the edge with her other hand and pulled herself up on the top. Once she was out, she lifted her father up and jumped up to the computer, where her mother and Superman were.

Helena tried to keep her emotions together as she saw how much the two of them were suffering. Superman appeared to be suffering from the presence of Kryptonite. Helena breathed a slight sigh of relief as she thought he would be easy to take care of. Once she had thrown away the rock he would be okay and he could help her get her parents out.

She gently laid her father on the ground, and then ran over to Superman. She frantically looked around, but couldn't find anything. "Where's the Kryptonite?" she yelled at him as she began to panic. "I need you to help me get my parents out of here."

"It's. . .inside. . .me," he said in a voice so weak it shocked her. "Dust. . .in. . .my. . .lungs."

Helena didn't know exactly what happened to Superman, but she had a good enough idea to realize he was not going to be able to help her. She was filled with terror for a moment as she realized it was up to her to get all three of them out. She pushed it aside as she remembered her father's training and how she had been taught to push all fears out of her mind if they interfered with her ability to do her job.

Helena made the decision her father would have to go out first. He would gain the most by being taken out to the warmth of the invisible jet. She should have left immediately with him, but she had to see how her mother was doing. She tentatively walked over to her mother, who heard her coming and rolled her head in her direction. She meekly opened her eyes as she looked at her daughter.

Helena scanned her mother's body, taking in each wound she had. Her mother closed her eyes again. Helena took off a gauntlet and started stroking her forehead, just as her mother had done when she got sick as a young girl. Her mother opened her eyes again and closed them quickly.

"Get your father and Clark out of here," she said in voice almost as weak as Superman's. "They can still be saved."

"You can too, Mom," she replied. "I'm taking Dad out right now, but I'll come back for you."

She put the gauntlet back on, ran over to her father and picked him up in her arms. She jumped over the ledges until she reached the hallway she had come in from. She ran down it towards Kara's room and out the still open door. She was on the ledge on the southeast side of the fortress. She didn't think she could make her way over to the jet. She needed Lois to bring it over, but she was hesitant to tell the woman what was happening.

"Lois, I need you to bring the jet over to me," she said into her communicator. I'm on the southeast ledge."

"Okay, how are they?" she asked. Helena had hoped she wouldn't ask that. She wanted the woman to concentrate on her flying and not be thrown off by fear for her husband.

"Bring the jet to me and you'll see," she replied to Lois.

Helena held her father tightly, trying to keep him warm. She scanned the sky for the jet even though she should have known she wouldn't be able to see it. She needed to do something to avoid looking at the comatose body of her father.

A door appeared in the middle of the sky. Helena made it inside in one leap. Lois was already running down the stairs from the cockpit when she made it inside. She didn't say anything as she looked at Batman's limp body. Helena guessed she was either too fearful or too shocked to say anything.

"They're all hurt bad," Helena said. "My father was trapped in ice water. Get all the blankets we have and wrap him in them. I'm going back for your husband."

Helena jumped back out of the jet before Lois could say anything to her. She couldn't waste a minute telling her what happened. The way Helena could run she would have Clark in the jet quickly enough for her to see his condition.

She made it back to the control room and made it back over to the ledge with the computer. She tried to avoid looking at her mother as she couldn't stand to see how bad off she was. She hoped that if her mother was conscious she would understand why she was taking Clark first. She had actually told her to do so.

Helena made it back out of the fortress in no time at all. She leaped into the jet and laid him next to Lois. The look of heartbreak on Lois's face was almost too much for Helena to bear. "He ingested Kryptonite," she said to the woman. "See what you can do."

Helena leaped back out of the jet and ran to the control room again. When she reached the ledge she took a good look at her mother while she stood a few feet away from her. Her mother's blood was flowing off the console and onto the floor. Her skin was losing its color. Tears started filling her eyes as it hit her that her mother might die. The tears made it hard to see with the mask on so she took it off and let if fall to the ground.

She took off her cape as she thought it would be good for wrapping up her mother. She took it off and laid it on the ground. She walked over to her mother and started feeling better when she saw her mother open her eyes.

"You can't save me, dear," her mother said. "Get Bruce and Clark back to the cave. They still have a chance."

"I'm getting you out of here, mother," she said to her sternly. "I don't need you thinking you're going to die. That won't help at all."

Her mother closed her eyes again as she let out a labored breath. Helena tried to concentrate on the task at hand. She looked her over and felt she could free her mother's ankle and left arm at least before everything else. She pulled her ankle free from its crystal shard and it immediately started gushing more blood. Helena tore off a piece of her cape and tied up the wound. Helena got her left arm free and treated that wound in the same manner.

Helena took a moment to pause as she knew the hardest task was ahead of her. She was going to have to yank her mother up off the console in one swift movement. She looked at the shard going through her mother's leg and thought once again whether or not she could free her leg by itself. As she looked at it again she realized the shard was too long and it was to far up her leg for Helena to be able to work it out.

Helena didn't want to just yank her mother up without her knowing. This time she thought it would be best if her mother was bracing herself for what was about to happen. She removed her gauntlets and once again put her hand on her mother's forehead and pushed the sweat soaked hair off her face.

For a moment their roles were reversed and Helena talked to her mother as if she was the mother and Diana was the daughter. "Mother, I am going to get you out of this, but I need your help." Her mother opened her eyes and looked at her daughter for a sustained moment. "I need you to stay calm. There's going to be a lot of pain, but I know you can handle it. Now I'm going to put my arms under you and lift you up slightly. You're going to feel you're body moving through the shards. It may hurt a lot but it will be okay."

Helena took a deep breath before she started. She gently pushed her hands under her mother's body. She could feel her mother make a few grunts as her body moved up the shards ever so slightly.

"Are you okay, Mom?" she asked.

Diana nodded with gritted teeth. Helena knew she wasn't being truthful, but she couldn't stop and just leave her. "I'm going to count to three, and on three I'm going to lift you off this."

Her mother nodded as she understood. Helena counted to three and yanked her mother off the console and the crystal shards that had torn through her body. Her mother yelled so loudly Helena was surprised she didn't bring down the Fortress.

Diana gritted her teeth and held in her screams of pain as her daughter gently laid her on her cape. When she was on the ground she wrapped her mother in the cape and tried to press it against her in order to soak up the blood that was coming out of her wounds. Her mother was convulsing and that it made it harder to hold the cape against her to try and put pressure on the wounds.

Helena soon realized there was going to be nothing she could do for her mother until she got her back to the Batcave and could use the Themysciran clay to heal her wounds. She gently lifted her up and headed back outside. This time she moved a little slower so as not to agitate her mother so much.

She leapt into the jet and gently placed her mother on the floor. Lois saw how Helena was handling her mother, saw the lifeless look on Diana's face, and immediately knew she was by far the worst off of the three. Lois was so taken aback by what she saw she left Clark alone and ran over to help Helena with Diana.

Lois knew Helena was too broken up by her parent's condition to give them the help they needed. "Fly us back to the Batcave. I'll look over your mother."

Helena was glad to be relieved of the burden. She ran up to the cockpit and seated herself at the controls. Having another task to focus on was a big help and she calmed herself down. She got the jet moving and headed for the Batcave.

As they flew she accessed all the Wayne satellites and read the readouts of their scans of Earth. She was not afraid of being tracked as she had a feeling the Apokolips forces were no longer around. She looked at the satellite readouts and found her hunch was correct.

She focused a satellite on Wayne Manor. The readouts showed the Tamaranean and Thanagarian ships were congregating there. Helena knew Barbara had likely offered the Manor as a field hospital. The rest of the League was probably there as well. She knew the morale of the League would plummet if they knew about the condition of the triumvirate. She was going to have to keep things a secret. The invisible jet would allow them to get there without anyone noticing. She could take them to the cave and keep it closed off from the rest.

Helena needed to be sure the cave would be off limits when they got there. "Barbara," she called on the intercom.

"I'm here, Helena," she replied.

"I need to know if you're in the cave, and if anyone is with you."

"I'm alone. The rest of the manor is crawling with superheroes and soldiers, but I have the Batcave off limits. I know Bruce likes to keep it restricted in these situations."

"I need you to keep it like that, and I need you to keep a secret. My parents and Clark are injured badly. They're going to need to be treated in the cave, but I want it kept quiet from everyone."

"I can do that," she answered. "Everyone is so busy treating the rest of the wounded they won't pay much attention to the fact they are not around."

Helena reached the manor and landed the jet in the backyard, right next to the hidden opening. Even though she didn't have the time to pause, she did so as she had to gather herself and get control of her emotions. It only took a couple seconds and she ran down to the deck below.

"Your mother needs to go first," Lois said to her. Helena grabbed her mother out of Lois's arms and jumped out of the jet. With another step she was falling to the Batcave below. She ran her over to the hospital area and found Barbara waiting for her. She ran to one of the beds and placed her on it. She pulled back the cape and looked over her mother, overwhelmed as she didn't know what to do. For the first time in her life she was frozen with indecision.

"I can take care of her," Barbara told her. "Get Bruce and Clark."

Helena ran out again and ascended through the hole to the back yard of the manor. She jumped in the jet and grabbed Clark. She paid little attention to Lois as she was in a hurry. She jumped back through the hole and ran Clark over to the sun lamps that had been put in place for him years ago. She laid him on the metal slab and turned on the lamps as she ran out. She knew they would at least keep him stable for the time being.

Helena didn't let up at all even though she knew her father was likely not in as dire a situation now as the other two. She ascended back up the hole and into the jet; finding Lois tending to her father.

"If you can hang on to my back I can take you down to the cave," she said to Lois as she picked up her father.

"It's been a while since I've had to cling to a superhero, but I think it's like riding a bicycle. You never forget."

Helena walked to the edge of the door and Lois wrapped her arms around Helena. She took a leap to the ground and then through the opening into the Batcave. When they hit the floor of the cave Lois let go and ran to where her husband was. Helena carried her father to the hospital room.

Barbara was carefully applying the Themyscaran clay to each of the wounds on her mother's body. Helena glanced at the monitors her mother was hooked up to and saw her vitals were weak, but okay enough for her to pull through until the clay started working. She wanted to see if her mother was beginning to heal, but knew she had to tend to her father first. She also didn't need to get her hopes up, it was early and she knew it would take them time to heal.

She laid her father on a bed. Lois had wrapped him up well with all the blankets from the jet. It was unlikely any more would do any good. She grabbed an IV as she knew he would need it to rehydrate. She hooked him up to several machines so she could monitor his vital signs. She was pleased to see they were quite good.

She looked at his face and could see his eyes fluttering. She reached under the blankets and grabbed a hold of his hand so he would know he was safe. His hand felt cold to her, but not as much as she feared. He managed to open his eyes and they darted all around so he could see where he was. "Am I in the Batcave?" he asked.

"Yes, Dad," she replied. His hand still felt cold to her and she rubbed it to try and warm it.

"I guess your mother saved me and brought me here." His voice was weak and he was talking in little more than a whisper.

Helena took a deep breath. Her father was weak and she wasn't sure how all the bad news would affect him. She tried to reveal the news as slow as possible. "Mom didn't bring you here, I did. Mom is injured as well."

Helena was surprised to see her father crack a slight smile. "I should have known you wouldn't let us out of your sight. You take after me too much. Don't worry about your mother. She'll be fine. She's stronger then you know, there is almost nothing that can destroy her."

Helena found it endearing that even in his injured state he was trying to be the reassuring father and tell her that her mother would be okay. She wondered if he would feel the same way if he could see the injuries she had actually sustained. "She was pretty bad off when I found her, but I think you're right. I think she will pull through just fine. It will take some time."

"What about Superman? I know he was being hurt by Kryptonite."

Helena wanted to avoid giving him bad news about the others as much as possible; she thought putting him adjacent to her mother wasn't such a good idea. "He wasn't well off when I found him, but he's okay now. He breathed in some Kryptonite dust, but we'll be able to get it out." She lied a little as she wasn't quite sure just how they were going to heal Superman.

"What about Lash? What happened to him?" Despite the weakness of his voice, Helena could detect the gravitas in it.

"He got away, father. I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't apologize; we're the ones who failed. We're the ones who let him get what he wants. I saw him at the computer. You have to find out what he wanted."

Helena knew her father was right, but he was forgetting she wouldn't be able to access anything. "I can't access the computer, Dad."

"Clark set up a password for your mother and I. Just say KaraogLara when it asks who you are."

"I'll do that as long as you do something for me. Put everything out of your mind and fall asleep. You need to get some rest if you are going to heal."

"Okay honey," her father said as he closed his eyes to signal his willingness to comply. She was glad he didn't look over at her mother. Helena laid his hand down on the bed and tucked it under the blankets. She kissed him on the forehead before she walked away.

Helena looked over at her mother. She didn't want to ask Barbara anything as she didn't want her father to hear anything about her condition. Her vital signs were unchanged from a moment before. Helena looked over her mother's body and concentrated on the wounds. They were looking better and Helena hoped her overall health would soon follow.

She left her parents in the care of Barbara. She had a tinge of guilt over doing it, but she was the only one who could figure out what Lash and Brainiac were doing and she had to do it. She knew her parents were in good hands.

As she walked by Superman's sun room she checked in on him. "How is he doing?" she asked Lois.

"He's at a stable equilibrium," she told him. The energy from the sun lamps is canceling out the harm being done to him by the Kryptonite. He is going to be like this, though, until we can get the dust out of his lungs. I think we're going to need the Atom for that."

Helena had wondered why she hadn't thought of getting the Atom. She just hoped nothing had happened to him during the invasion. "I'm going up top; I'll ask around to see if anyone knows of his whereabouts."

Lois didn't say anything to her as she left. She walked up the steps and opened the metal door just enough to fit through. She wanted to be inconspicuous so no one who happened to be on the other side would see her and immediately start peppering her with questions. She opened it a foot, slid through quickly with her front against the wall, and shut it again.

Helena turned around to see the study empty. The hallway, on the other hand, was bustling with activity. Superheroes and soldiers from Maril's army were all running around. Helena went to the doorway and simply watched it all for a while. She was trying to get an idea of just what was going on in her house.

Helena saw a Thanagarian soldier limping down the hallway. His wings looked like they had been singed by a laser blast or two, which was why he couldn't fly. He looked like he could use some help so Helena went up to him, grabbed one of his arms, and hoisted him on her shoulders.

"You look like you could use some help," she said to him. "Are you headed for one of the hospital rooms?"

"I was told there was an open bed in the Party Hall. I declined help as I felt there were others who could use it more. It turns out I might have been wrong."

"I've been otherwise disposed for the last few hours," she said to him. "Would you mind telling me how the battle is going?"

"We won," he said with an obvious beam of pride. "Almost two hours ago they had enough and started retreating through their Boom Tubes. I have heard that the same thing has happened all over the world. They are in retreat everywhere."

Helena realized instantly the soldier's bravado was unwarranted. Two hours ago was around the time Lash had made his escape. He had what he needed and was retreating with all his force to Apokolips in order to make use of whatever it was he had found. Helena had to keep the information to herself until she knew more.

She walked the soldier into the hall to find it filled with the Justice League. Almost all the beds were filled by a superhero that was surrounded by his superhero friends and family. Helena looked around just enough to find the open bed and walked the soldier over to it.

"I'll go and find a doctor to attend to you," she said as she helped him onto the bed.

"You probably have other things to worry about," he said. "I'm sure someone will be by soon to ask me how I am."

Helena would have ignored his request and brought the doctor, but as she scanned the room for one she found Olivia and Theodore sitting beside a hospital bed. Her breath stopped for a moment as she saw Connor lying unconscious in it. His head was bandaged and she could tell he had a cast on his right shoulder that ran down his right arm.

Helena looked back to see the soldier was okay, and then walked over to Connor's hospital bed. Olivia spotted her as she walked over and was relieved to see her.

"Helena!" she yelled as she stood up and embraced her. "I'm so glad to see you. No one knew what happened to you."

"I had to help my parents and Superman," she said as Olivia broke the embrace.

"Where did they go? Where are they now? Everyone has been going crazy wondering what has happened to them."

Helena looked around to see if anyone had taken notice of her. She was getting a few glances, but it didn't appear anyone was going to be accosting her about what her parents were doing. "They had a fight with Superman's son," she began. She tried to choose her words carefully. "I don't have time to explain everything so ask around, but he escaped and we are now trying to figure out what his next move might be. My parents and Supeman will be occupied in the Batcave for a while and won't be able to come up here. If you can do me a favor spread the word around. If everything is running okay up here, then it will be best if they keep up with the task they have at hand."

"I understand," Olivia said as she nodded. Helena looked past Olivia to see how bad her fiancé looked.

"He had a robot pick him up and slam him against the ground pretty hard. Mom saw everything. The scream she let out obliterated the robot to dust and took out ten others."

Helena kneeled next to the bed and ran her hand along his face. He felt warm at least, which was a good sign of health. She inspected his body and noticed his right leg was in a cast as well.

"How's the rest of your family?" Helena asked with trepidation.

"Dad's a bit shook up as well. He's unconscious too, but in better physical condition. Ted took Mom over to be with him as she was just too broken up staring at Connor."

"And Richie?"

"He's outside helping Maril and Rex set up a field hospital for the army."

Helena looked back to Connor. She wished she had the option to stay by his side and be the first person he saw when he awoke. She had other people and a mission to attend to. She leaned over him and kissed him on the lips, hoping it wouldn't be the last she ever got to give him.

"I hate to leave him, but I have a mission to complete," she said to Olivia.

"I understand," she answered. "I'll let you know if he wakes."


	34. Chapter 34: Travels

**Chapter 34**

Helena needed to be on her way, but figured she had enough time to talk to Maril. She walked out of the Manor's front door to find the sun almost blotted out by all the Tamaranean ships flying over head. It wasn't hard for Helena to find Maril, flying all over the place and barking out orders.

Helena watched Maril for a few moments to detect the pattern in her flight. When she picked it up she was able to run to a spot where she could flag Maril easily. Even from a good distance, it was obvious her face had lit up when she caught sight of her friend.

"Helena, we were so worried," she said as she flew over and embraced Helena. The two of them were silent for a long time. For the moment they just basked in the feeling their closest friend was okay, and the worst of it was over. Helena felt comforted, even without Maril saying anything.

"I had to go after my parents when they followed Superman and his son. His son got away, but they're working on what he might be up to. They sent me out to gather some information for them." Helena's story was much easier to tell the second time around.

Maril broke the embrace and looked at Helena, puzzled. "Superman's son, what are you talking about?"

Helena sighed upon the realization there was so much information the others were missing. "Would you mind asking your stepmother about it if you see her? I don't think I have the time to explain everything to you. I mainly came out here to see how you are doing? Have you been inside to see you father yet?"

Maril hung her head in shame. "I don't know if I can do it, Helena. I don't know if I can see him like that?"

"I've seen my father in that condition a hundred times," Helena answered with a smile. "I know you have all kinds of horrid images running through your mind about how bad he must look. Once you see him and see all your images are false, you are going to feel so relieved."

Maril looked at Helena with hope in her eyes, but didn't say anything. "Let's go inside," Helena said to her as she led her towards the Manor. They walked to the Hall and paused at the doorway.

Maril stared at her father from the distance of the doorway. Helena could hear her breathing getting easier. "You're right," she exclaimed. "He doesn't look as bad as I've imagined."

"Why don't you go up and see him up close?" Helena said to her friend.

"Do you think he could hear me?" Maril asked.

"What?" Helena replied.

"You have more experience with this," Maril began. "There is something I want to tell him. Something that I think might help give him determination to pull through."

Helena had known her father to refer to things he could only have heard during times he was unconscious. "Tell him whatever you want," she said to her friend.

"Thanks, I can talk to him alone. I'm sure you have other things to do." Helena watched as her friend walked up to her father's hospital bed. Before she reached it the twins jumped out of their nearby chair and ran over to greet her. She knelt down and gave them a huge hug. She talked to them for a short time and then walked over to their father's bed. Helena saw the twins move back so Maril could talk to their father in private.

Maril leaned over and said something into her father's ear. Helena felt like a voyeur watching this scene, but she wanted to see if she could figure out what Maril was telling her father. She grabbed his hand and pulled it towards her, placing it on her stomach.

Helena knew immediately what Maril had told him. She was pregnant and was trying to let her unconscious father feel the baby. Helena felt like she was watching a private moment now and left the hall.

Finding out Maril was pregnant put a jolt into Helena. She was reminded of what would be lost if Lash and Brainiac returned, perhaps this time with a super weapon constructed from the knowledge in the Jor-El computer. She had to find out what they were up to. Her father had told her exactly what to do.

It was time for her to carry out her tasks, and she walked briskly to the back door and outside. As she walked out her communicator beeped. "Can you speak freely, Helena?" Barbara asked her.

"Yes," she said as she stopped.

"I'm out of clay," she confessed. "Your mother is doing well so she doesn't need it immediately, but if she is going to get back to normal she will definitely need some more."

"I can make it to Themyscira and get some more," she said as she ended the conversation.

As she was talking to Barbara she looked around the back yard. She saw the team of Amazons that had been at the camp. They were back by the stables tending to each other. She walked up to them to see how they were doing.

"How are you guys?" she asked them.

Artemis spoke for the group. "Not any worse then we've been before. Where's your mother?"

"Down in the Batcave," she answered. Helena didn't feel like telling the Amazons any more then she told the Justice League.

"And will our heir be coming out to see us?" she asked. "She has always cared about our well being. I can't imagine she would stay in the Batcave without seeing how we are."

"My mother knows you girls can take care of yourself," she said. "There is a lot happening right now and her attention is needed elsewhere. I will relay to her the news on your condition."

Artemis stood up and walked over to Helena so she could look down on her. The older Amazon was a good head taller then her. "I know we're obliged to follow you, princess, but if you are keeping information from us, there will be hell to pay."

Helena was not fazed by what Artemis said, even though she knew the sentiment was shared by all the other warriors. Helena had never quite been accepted as a royal by the Amazons. They had all lived too long to ever believe that a young girl like Helena should ever have any authority over them. Every time they addressed her as princess they did so with a sneer that indicated their contempt for her title.

"If you want to bother her when she's trying to save the world I will take you to her right now. Otherwise, I should be on my way to collect some information on what is happening right now. You are more then welcome to join me on my mission, unless you think you would be better suited staying here."

Artemis squinted her eyes as she continued to look down at Helena. "A lot of our soldiers are wounded and need tending to. We should stay here and prepare for our next battle, if there is one. I know you and know you would prefer to work alone. You can be on your way."

Helena waited to leave for a second so it wouldn't appear she was obeying the orders of Artemis. She walked away with them without looking back. She had known none of them would take her up on her offer to travel with her and was glad she was right. She needed to get some more clay from Themyscira and she didn't want the others to know her mother needed it.

Helena took out the controls to the jet she kept on her utility belt. She pressed the button to open the door and saw the opening appear. She jumped in the jet and closed the door behind her. She took off and set course for the Fortress, so she could fulfill her father's request of finding out what Lash was up to.

Helena thought about Lash and wondered what he could have possibly have planned. She thought about the fight they might have on their hands soon and how that would affect all her friends and family. She had almost lost so many people she loved just in the past day. She tried hard not to imagine what a prolonged fight would cause.

Helena entered the Arctic Circle and steered the plane in the direction of the Fortress. She slowed it down as she approached it. She brought it up next to the side door which was still open.

The scanners didn't detect anything, so Helena figured she was alone. She didn't know if Lash would be concerned about someone coming back here to try and find out what he was up to. He could have had a small detachment come here, but from the reports she had looked at on the way here he had completely abandoned Earth. He was concentrating on his next phase and likely wasn't concerned about someone trying to follow his tracks.

She jumped out of the jet and onto the ledge. She passed back through the door and this time refrained from looking in on Supergirl. She walked down the hall slowly, cautious of any sign someone else was in the Fortress. She found no signs and by the time she reached the main hall she figured the place was empty and she was safe. The main hall appeared just as she had left it.

Helena looked around at the remains of the fight that had taken place there earlier. Her crossbow was lying right in front of her. She walked up to it and grabbed, placing it in the new holster she had grabbed earlier. She was able to look out and survey the rest of the main hall. Her father's grappling hook was still hanging from the ceiling at the other end of the hall. She looked over at the ledge with the computer. From the distance she could see her gauntlets and helmet on the ground. She could also see her mother's blood all over the controls. She hoped she would be able to get the information she needed out of the computer.

She hopped over to the ledge and looked over the console. She tried to avoid noticing her mother's blood all over it. She had forgotten to ask someone how to activate it. She took a wild guess the main control would be the one in the center and was proven correct. A scanner protruded out and Helena didn't know what to do. When she did nothing it retreated and a holographic image of a man's face appeared before her. Khorana could tell it was Jor-El from the resemblance to Superman.

"You are not authorized to use me," a harsh but deep and dignified voice shouted. "Please identify yourself."

"KaraogLara," Helena said immediately. She hoped her father was right about the password.

"You are a friend of Kal-El," the face said. "I have not seen you before, but a scan of your facial features indicates a familial relationship with Batman and Wonder Woman. I calculate a 95% chance you are their offspring."

"Good guess, you're right. You can call me Helena. I need your help with something."

"How may I be of service to you?"

"A few hours ago you were accessed by a villain. I want to know what he searched your files for."

"You must be mistaken," the head of Jor-El answered. "No one has used me for several days."

She pounded her fist on the console in frustration. She had been afraid of this. Brainiac had apparently erased all traces of what he had done. There was apparently no way to find out what his plan was. Helena leaned against the computer as she tried to think about what her next move should be.

Her mind started wondering and she found herself thinking about the fight she had with Lash in this very room. She relived every move she made and every punch she threw. She suddenly remembered that when she punched Lash right in the forehead she hit Brainiac and a small piece of him broke off. She knew the smallest piece of Brainiac contained all the information of the program. This tiny piece would possess all the knowledge the main Brainiac did at the time it broke off from him. That should have included all the plans it had which required information from the Fortresses computer.

Helena jumped over to ledge where she had punched Lash and got down on her hands and knees to search the floor. The small piece of metal stood out on the clear crystal surface. She gently picked it up and inspected it. She jumped back over to the computer console. The Jor-El computer was the most advanced computer on the planet. If anything could extract data from Brainiac it was that computer.

Brainiac had gained access to the computer by kidnapping Superman. Lash had likely hacked into the main controls of the computer when its guard was down and it thought it was being used by Kal-El. Perhaps with a little warning it would be able to get the best of the villainous computer.

"I need you to extract some information from a computer," she said to Jor-El. "I have a small piece of it in my hand. Is there someplace I can insert this?"

A sharp crystal shard protruded from the console and opened up. Helena placed the piece of Brainiac inside it and the shard closed around it. She saw the inside of the shard light up and after a few seconds the Jor-El face above her started flickering. It disappeared and soon became replaced by flashes of random images. Soon those disappeared as well and the computer appeared to shut down. It started again and the face of Jor-El appeared above her again.

"The program you wanted to extract tried to take me over," the face informed her. "I pulled a few tricks on him and now have it safely sequestered. I have extracted all his information files."

Helena hoped this was authentic and not some trick of Brainiac. From what she had heard and read about him, he wasn't the kind to use deception like this. "Find the memory files from a couple hours ago, what information did it seek from you."

"According to the memory files, the primary information taken off of this computer concerns the mathematical formulas my human predecessor used to determine the fate of Krypton."

Helena was immediately stumped as to why that information could have been so important. She hoped there were files that would give them the answer. "The information he collected had to be sent to some other destination. Find that destination and we will be able to learn why he needed it."

"I found this information associated with files on the anti-life equation. These files are cross referenced with plans for a machine that can use the anti-life equation to destroy all of creation, except for anything protected inside a bubble the machine can create."

Helena's heart sank over the shock of what she heard. The League had dealt with villains creating doomsday machines before, but almost never one quite like this. And none of those other machines were built by super powered beings with huge armies that had just crushed them and left half the League on hospital gurneys. Helena had to lean against the console to support herself as the weight of what was happening hit her.

She realized she had to know more. There had to be a way to stop him and she was going to find it. "Search through the files associated with the machine. Tell me where it is on Apokolips and what is around it."

Above her holographic images of Apokolips appeared. The Jor-El computer appeared to be searching for the machine's exact location. It zeroed in on a partially constructed building. The building looked like a place and it was near a metal frame which appeared to be for a statue. A red dot appeared under the building as the computer showed the underground structure that housed the machine.

"It appears to be in an underground base that served as a laboratory for one of the warlords," the Jor-El voice told her.

"I'll need to examine this elsewhere," she told it. "Can you transfer all your files concerning the machine to a device I can plug into an Earth computer."

"Of course, just give me a second," the Jor-El computer told her. Helena waited and in a second a crystal shard propped up through the console. It opened to reveal a USB flash drive.

"Thanks," she told the computer as she grabbed the flash drive. She grabbed her gauntlets and helmet and ran out the way she had several times before. She jumped into the jet, and immediately set course for Themyscira.

She set the plane on auto-pilot so she could be free to search through the files the Jor-El computer had given her. She plugged the flash drive into the computer and brought up the location of the machine that she had been shown earlier. She looked through the entire area. The building under construction was identified as being Lash's palace. The metal framework was listed as being a statue of Lash. It appeared he had some grand ambitions.

She looked through the underground lair that was identified as Vunderbar's workshop. It looked fortified, but not obscenely so. As Helena looked closer at it she noticed there were tunnels underneath the workshop. It didn't look like there was direct access that way, but they could make an entrance if they needed it.

Helena located the files on the plan Brainiac and Lash had. From what the files said, the plan was to keep Apokolips protected in a bubble while the rest of creation was destroyed. New universes would then be created with Brainiac and Lash being their gods.

As Helena read through the files she realized how the doomsday plan wasn't centered on the machine, but was centered on the knowledge Brainiac possessed and the muscle Lash gave him to carry out his plans. The situation she was facing was very similar to one her father had faced when Owlman attempted to destroy all of creation.

Helena was the only person who knew the truth about what happened between her father and Owlman. Shortly after the Justice League had formed they had faced off against the Crime Syndicate, their evil counterparts from another dimension. The Syndicate had built a super-bomb that most of them believed would be used to make their Earth obedient to them. Owlman, the villain who built it, intended to use it to destroy all of creation. He had discovered if he used it to destroy Earth-Prime, it would destroy every Earth in every universe.

The Justice League had been facing off against the Crime Syndicate when Owlman took the bomb to Earth-Prime to carry out his plan. Bruce had found a way for one of them to follow him and he went to Earth-Prime to stop him. They could have sent one of the super powered heroes. Wonder Woman or Superman could have easily smashed the machine. Bruce insisted on going before either of them could speak up as he didn't trust them to do what needed to be done.

Her father believed Superman or her mother would have brought Owlman back to face punishment. Bruce understood that the real danger didn't just come from the bomb on Earth-Prime at that moment, it came from Owlman himself. As long as the knowledge of Earth-Prime's location and its method of destruction was known to Owlman, he could put endless plans in place to carry out the destruction he wanted. With the existence of the multiverse at stake, he couldn't take that chance. He had made a promise he would never take a life, but in this instance he had to make an exception. He fought Owlman and when the chance presented itself, he tied the villain to the bomb and sent him to another Earth as it was set to explode.

Helena was thinking she had a similar situation on her hands. The entire League could go in and apprehend Lash and Brainiac, but that may just delay the scheme. Brainiac likely existed in every computer of Apokolips and one of his copies could find a way to regain power, especially if he could find a way to free Lash and partner with him for his muscle. Given Lash's power, he could easily escape and try to find Brainiac again.

Helena was thinking the only way to keep the universe safe was to kill Lash. It would end the immediate danger as well as complicate things for any clones of Brainiac that tried to continue the work. Lash was the only thing holding Apokolips together right now. According to the files she was looking through most of the old warlords had been killed. Of course, new ones could always emerge. Once Lash was gone the planet would plunge into chaos. In the ensuing war it would be unlikely Brainiac could emerge to put his scheme into action.

As she thought about it some more, she realized there would be very few superheroes willing to do what needed to be done to stop them forever. Like her father several years before, she began to think she should just go after Lash herself, as she was the only one who would likely have the guts to do what was necessary.

The navigation computer beaped to indicate they were near Themyscira. Helena turned back to the piloting controls and took over. The island came into view and she guided the jet towards the beach that contained the clay she needed.

She landed it near the water and grabbed a canister as she jumped out of the jet. She kneeled in the mud and started scooping the clay into the canister. As she did so she continued to think about her predicament. At the moment, no one knew what Brainiac and Lash had planned. If Helena told everyone what was happening, the rest of the League would formulate their own plans that wouldn't do what was necessary. If she kept everything to herself she could put her own plan in action. Acting in stealth by herself, she just might be able to succeed.

"Are you trying to fit the whole island in there?" Helena heard a familiar voice ask. She looked up to see her grandmother standing over her. Her blonde hair waved a little as it blew in the ocean breeze. She noticed Hippolyta looking at the canister and she looked at it herself. It was overflowing with clay and Helena started scooping out the excess.

"I guess I should be glad that your mother doesn't quite need all of that," Hippolyta said. Helena remained quiet.

"So are you going to tell me how your mother is doing?"

Helena could detect the obvious anger in her grandmother's voice. She was keeping a lot of information from a lot of people. She almost broke down and told her grandmother everything, but remained strong.

"My mother is doing okay," she said as she stood up so she could look the queen in the eye. "She was injured badly in the battle, but with the clay I had she healed enough to at least remain stable. I need some more so she can heal completely."

Her grandmother continued to look at her skeptically. "If my mother was really bad off do you think I would be wasting time talking with you. Do you think I wouldn't be racing back to Gotham with all the clay on the island?"

The skeptical look on Hippolyta's face dissipated somewhat. "If your mother is injured, your father must be really bad off," she said.

"He's actually not bad off at all," Helena replied. "In the fight that injured my mother he got taken out early and spared a serious beating."

"What about my warriors?" she asked Helena.

"None of them died," Helena replied. "A few injuries, but according to them, nothing they haven't experienced before." She walked over to the open door of the jet and pulled out the lid for the canister. As she closed it her grandmother made a comment.

"You look like you could use some of that yourself," she said.

Helena wondered what she was talking about, until she remembered she was still covered with blood from the killing of the Furies. "None of this is mine," she told her grandmother.

"You still look like hell," she said. She tore a piece of her toga off as she walked over to the edge of the water. She wetted the cloth and then walked back to wipe the blood off her granddaughter's face.

"What about you, dear? Are you okay?" she asked her granddaughter as she lifted up her head so she could look at her. She tenderly wiped her face with the moist towel. The dried blood came right off.

Helena welcomed the comforting gesture. She had a huge weight on her shoulders and for a moment she wanted to collapse into her grandmother's arms and confess all the fears and doubts she had. She quickly put those thoughts out of her mind as she had to be strong and concentrate on the task at hand, just as her father taught her.

"I'm fine," she told her grandmother. She walked over to the jet and jumped in it to leave. Her grandmother yelled at her to wait.

"I came out here to give you something," Hippolyta said as Helena looked back at her. Hippolyta reached into a pouch and she hanging around her waist and pulled out Helena's engagement ring. She held it out and Helena took it.

"I found it in your room. I thought you would want it."

"Thanks," Helena replied softly as she stared at it.

Hippolyta spoke to her again and Helena could detect the concern in her voice. "Helena, I'm worried about you. Don't try and take on too much."

Helena wasn't pleased by the words of the queen. She looked up at her with anger in her eyes. "Don't worry about me," she shouted back. "I don't' need it." She closed the door and ran up to the cockpit.

Convincing the old Atom to re-don the belt and save Superman proved to be easy. While he no longer saw himself of being any use in battle, he did believe he could be of use as a healer. He agreed to stay silent about Superman's condition. It wasn't going to be hard for him as when he was done helping Clark he would immediately head back to his lab.

As she flew the Atom around, she thought about her plan for taking out Lash. The more she thought about it the more convinced she became the only way to permanently stop his plan was to kill him. The only problem was the difficulty in carrying that out.

When she was young her father had gone over with her all kinds of plans in case Superman went rogue again or the Kryptonian supervillains reappeared. He had studied all the information they had on their fight with Zod and his minions as well as Superman's fight with Doomsday. While Kryptonite was always on option in subduing a Kryptonian, it was never foolproof. Her father was never comfortable with only having one option.

Her father was never sure if her mother, the next most powerful superhero after Superman, possessed the strength to physically subdue or even kill a Kryptonian. He had studied the videos of Superman's fight with Doomsday to try and determine just what kind of force the monster was hitting him with when he 'killed' him. It took him a good amount of time to study them, but he eventually had a good idea of what kind of force Doomsday had packed in his punches.

When her father trained her, he spent a lot of time with her going over specific plans for specific situations. The return of the Kryptonian super villains was one he never quite had a good plan for, especially if they would be unable to send them back to the Phantom Zone in the same manner they did before. When the triumvirate face Zod the first time they were able to make use of a key bit of information. The ancestor of Jor-El who had entrapped them in the Phantom Zone had secretly implanted devices in them that could send them back if they ever escaped. They learned this from the Jor-El computer and while he didn't have all the information on how they worked, he had information for Bruce to figure out what they needed to do.

Helena's father always tested her abilities to try and gauge what she could do against a Kryptonian. She repeatedly had her strength tested to determine if she could physically subdue a Kryptonian in the way Doomsday physically beat Superman. Her strength was somewhat close, but not nearly enough to earn any kind of win in a fist fight.

While her father had always pledged to never kill, and developed elaborate plans to keep himself from having to do so, his plans for Zod and his minions were always different. He saw them as so strong and such grave dangers to the Earth that the only way to permanently stop them would be to kill them. In many ways any plans for killing them was academic as there was almost no force in the universe that could kill a Kryptonian, outside another Kryptonian. Bruce's research into Superman's death at the hands of Doomsday revealed just what kind of force it took for him to die. He scanned the universe and found only one such weapon that could deliver the kind of force it took to kill a Kryptonian: a hellspore from Apokolips.

A hellspore was a bomb so powerful it could create a firepit on its own. Even if someone could have gotten their hands on a hellspore and activated it, it would have been hard to use it to kill a Kryptonian. With their speed they could easily fly out of the way of the blast the minute they heard the explosion or felt the edge of the force of it. It was likely the only way a hellspore could kill them would be if they were trapped in the blast zone.

With Lash, Helena couldn't stop thinking it would be so easy to take him out with a hellspore. He was on Apokolips with armories full of hellspores all around him. If they could set one to blow and make sure he was trapped in the blast area, they could end it. In fact, they could set a hellspore under the lair that held the doomsday machine. With one blast they could kill Lash and destroy everything. It would be the kind of defeat that would demoralize anyone who might want to follow in his footsteps. It all depended on Lash being caught in the blast, though. There appeared to be few options for making sure that happened with any certainty.

While Kryptonite could take away much of his power, it would not take away everything. He would still have the strength to fight and subdue anyone who was holding it. Even trapping him in the presence of Kryptonite was unlikely to work. He would still have the strength to free himself and then throw the rock away so he could regain the ability to fly. The more Helena thought about the situation, the more she came to realize there was only one way to make sure he stayed in the blast zone. The only problem was that scenario required someone to make the ultimate sacrifice.


	35. Chapter 35: Good Byes

**Chapter 35**

As time passed Bruce could feel himself getting stronger. He could feel his body temperature return to normal, and he became rehydrated as the IV flowed through his veins. His head was all wrapped up in blankets and he started to unwrap them so he could move his head around and see what was going on in the Batcave.

He knew his wife was next to him as he had been able to hear her heart monitor beeping. It was beeping steadily so he knew she was okay and stable. He wanted to see her so he had a visual reference for understanding how she was hurt.

He pulled the blankets off his face and was able to look over at her. She looked to be sleeping peacefully. She was covered with sheets so that Bruce couldn't see the wounds Helena had been talking about. The color of her skin looked good, a sign she was relatively healthy.

Diana must have felt his eyes on her because she opened hers and looked over at him. "I'm so glad to see you're okay," she said to him. "I was afraid you were going to die in that pool."

Bruce had no idea how Diana had come to be injured. Given the timeline and her statement now that she thought he was going to die the thought occurred to him she might have been overtaken by Lash when she tried to save him. She should have let him go and worried about Lash, but unlike him, and maybe Helena, she wasn't that heartless. She often served as a decent foil in that regard, but this time that attitude almost killed her.

"I think I'm just about healed," he said as he continued to push the blankets off himself. He wanted to get out of bed and inspect his wife. He just had to know more about her condition.

"Now hold on, Bruce," she pleaded with him. "Hypothermia isn't that easy to recover from, especially at your age. There is no reason for you to get up and out of that bed. You need more rest."

"I know I'm okay," he said as he pushed himself to sit-up. He felt a little lightheaded and had to fall back on the bed.

Diana knew her husband was fighting to get out of bed so he could check on her. She wanted him to get some more rest and figured he might be placated if he could touch her and just feel she was okay.

"I'm okay, Bruce," she said as she stretched her hand out towards his bed. Take my hand and feel it.

Bruce did as she requested and held it tightly. Her hand felt warm to him, and he could feel the blood pumping through it. Both were good signs that she was okay and not close to dying.

For Diana, there was comfort in holding her husband's hand. She was able to feel his temperature was normal. She smiled at him and he smiled back at her.

They both heard someone come into the Batcave and saw their daughter walking by with the Atom. They both figured he was here to aid with Superman. Helena smiled at them and giggled when she saw the two of them holding hands in the manner they were.

She walked past them to lead Atom to Superman's room. She was back a few moments later to tend to the two of them. She had the canister of clay with her and opened it to reveal it was full.

"Do you need me to turn on my back?" she asked her daughter.

"No, you're actually better off like this," Helena answered.

Helena pulled back the sheets from her mother's body and Diana closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to watch everything her daughter was doing. She winced a little in anticipation of pain every time she felt her daughter's hand rubbing clay into one of her wounds. Diana was surprised to find there was little pain. She soon started relaxing as she could feel the wounds begin to close. Bruce was rubbing her hand, making his presence felt and soothing her.

Helena's hands felt like they were trembling as she applied the clay to her mother. Diana figured she was nervous for her health. She hoped her daughter could notice the wounds getting better and would understand she was going to make a full recovery.

Helena was done in a short time and Diana could hear her put the lid back on the canister. She opened her eyes to inspect herself and could see the wounds were still there, but the skin around them was regenerating. She rubbed Bruce's hand with her thumb as a sign she was okay.

Diana was a bit surprised when Helena started checking over her father. She checked all his monitors then detached them all. She pushed him over to one side of the hospital bed. This forced Bruce and Diana to let go of each other's hand. Helena then walked back around to Diana's bed. She picked her up and carried her over to Bruce's bed, placing her gently beside her husband. The two of them quickly embraced each other. Diana felt much more at ease holding Bruce in her arms and having him do likewise.

Helena grabbed some IVs that included sedatives. She hooked them both up, then pulled the blankets around them and kissed them each on the forehead.

"I love you guys," she said to them. "Get some rest." She wrapped the blankets tight around them before she left them alone. She knew it wouldn't take long for the sedatives to work. Once they were out , she could sneak in and grab the Kryptonite in its vault.

Now that Bruce and Diana were next to each other they concentrated on holding each other and trying to offer the other comfort. They had both noticed something about the way Helena told them she loved them, but neither one said anything about it to the other.

As Helena walked up the stairs and away from her parents she started thinking again about the plan she had for killing Lash. Earlier, when she had been applying the clay to her mother she had been trembling as she thought about what her death would do to them. When she reached the top of the stairs she looked back and surveyed the Batcave. She could see into the room where Superman was being tended to. Lois was wiping dust off his nose and into a lead box. Apparently Atom was succeeding at pulling the dust out of Superman's lungs.

Helena walked out into the hallway and found it quiet. It was a stark contrast to the chaotic environment she had found when she had been up here in the afternoon. She figured almost everyone would be asleep with night falling, and she was glad as it would give her a chance to inspect things unnoticed.

She walked down to the room that was serving as the hospital ward and peaked inside. All the patients in the beds were clearly asleep. Any family members keeping vigil by their bedsides appeared to be asleep in their chairs as well. She walked all the way in and started inspecting the room.

It appeared to Helena half the League was in beds while the other half was keeping vigil by the injured. Luckily, no one looked to be near death. Helena saw so many close friends injured she couldn't quite summon enough emotion to be sad for all of them.

As she walked around she took note of how few superheroes there were in good health. While most of the injured superheroes appeared well enough to eventually make a full recovery, they were certainly not going to be in fighting condition any time soon. She was one of the few who was healthy enough to go after Lash before he could put his plan into motion. She took a deep breath as she realized what she was going to have to do.

Helena soon found herself in front of Connor's bed. His mother was sitting in a chair, but draped over his body. She looked sound asleep. The readouts on all of Connor's machines showed him to be stable.

Helena started taking a closer look at the readouts. Her motions woke his mother, who sat back and noticed Helena.

"It's so good to see you, Helena," she said in a soft voice.

Helena wasn't sure what she meant by what she said. "I had some work to attend to," she replied. "Clean up from the invasion, that sort of thing."

"I understand completely," Dinah replied. "I wasn't trying to say I thought you should have been around here by his bedside. Olivia filled me in on everything."

"I'm sorry I thought-" Helena tried to say.

"Don't worry about it. This fight has thrown off us all." She looked around the hall. "I should check on my husband," she said as she walked to his bed. Helena understood immediately she had been looking for a reason to leave the two of them alone.

Helena was thankful for the time. She took a look at her fiancé, clearly understanding this would be the last time she ever set eyes on him. While she wished she could talk to him one last time, she knew if he was awake and alert he would ask too many questions about what she was going to do.

She still wanted to talk to him one last time and sat down and began whispering in his ear. She told him what she was going to do and that she was sorry for what it might do to him. She grabbed her engagement ring out of her utility belt and found his hand and put it in their. She closed his fingers around it as she finished talking to him. She made sure to place his hand on the bed so it wouldn't fall off.

She moved away from him and looked around to see if anyone had been watching her. There was no one awake around her. She leaned over and kissed him. When she broke it off she lingered in front of his face and took him in one last him. She ran her fingers along his face, feeling it one last time.

When she stood up she looked around and noticed Dick still in his corner. Barbara wasn't by his beside, but Maril was asleep in the armchair next to his bed. The twins were lying in her lap and asleep as well. She walked over to speak with her friend. She realized she was going to need help on her mission and Maril was one of the few people she could get to go along with her without asking too many questions.

She walked up to Maril and began having second thoughts about what she was about to ask. First, the girl was pregnant and Helena didn't want to put her and her baby in danger like that. Second, she would be lying to her about what she had planned, and once everything was over Maril was sure to feel betrayed and maybe even distraught over what she helped Helena do. She changed her mind once again when she remembered what was at stake; if they didn't stop Lash no one would be alive. Any cost of their mission seemed inconsequential in comparison to that.

Helena's presence was enough to cause Maril to wake. "Helena, you're back," she said with a groggy voice. "Did you accomplish everything you needed to?"

"Of course, I wouldn't be back if I hadn't finished my mission. You should know that about me?" Helena looked at the sleeping twins. "We should get those two to bed so they might be more comfortable."

Helena grabbed Harriet and lifted her up. Maril moved James around so she could carry him as she stood. "They slept in the room across from mine, last night," Helena explained. "We should take them back there."

The two of them walked the twins up to the room in silence. The girls put them in their bed and then quietly walked out and silently shut the door behind them. "We should talk in my room," she said to Maril. They went inside and Helena closed the door behind them.

"What's going on?" Maril asked her. "A lot of the League is a little concerned by the secrecy of your parents and Superman. They are all wondering what is happening. They know the invasion force left and Earth appears safe for now, but they can't quite believe it's all over."

"It's not over, not by a long shot," Helena began. "And my parents aren't the ones being secretive, I am. In case you haven't been told yet, this invasion was led by a son that Superman bore with Lashina in Apokolips. He was after something specific that required him to take Superman to the Fortress of Solitude. My parents followed them there and I followed them. I don't know all the details of the fight they had there, but each of them was near death when I reached them. Lash escaped, but I brought them here and they are healing up now."

"My God, Helena," Maril said. "You must be going through so much."

"I'm fine," Helena said in an angry tone. She was a bit offended Maril would imply she would be distressed over everything. Her friend should have known she was stronger than that.

"I've kept the condition of my parents and Superman secret because I don't want the rest of the League, or the world, to panic. I've been out on my own trying to figure out what Lash is up to, and I know his plan. He is working in league with Brainiac and I found a small piece of him that had been left behind. I used the Jor-El computer to find out they have discovered the anti-life equation. With it they can destroy all of creation, but still save themselves. They will be gods in whatever universe comes after ours."

"We have to tell everyone," Maril almost screamed. "I can take my army and we can march to Apokolips."

"I don't think an all out assault like that is the way to go," Helena said. "I think a small number of us can make a precision strike to take out the machine they have and cripple their ability to build another one. A large scale battle will be chaotic. I have information on where the anti-life machine is. As long as Lash and Brainiac are in the dark about our attempts to destroy it, the thing won't be moved."

"How can just a small number of us destroy the machine and their ability to reproduce another one?"

"We're going to have to use a hellspore to destroy it and the lab it was built in. The machine was constructed in an underground lair that used to belong to Vunderbar. We can steal a hellspore and place it in one of the tunnels that runs under the lair. When it blows it will take out everything."

"How many people do we need to do this?"

"I was thinking of you, me, and Rex. The three of us can each take our own task. You can steal the hellspore and place it under the lair. Rex can track down the captured warlords and find a way to get the codes for the hellspores. I'll make sure Lash doesn't cause you any problems. As long as Lash is occupied by me, he won't be able to command the forces to do much. Not only that, but for our victory to mean anything he has to be taken out, killed. If he is left alive there is just too great a chance he could make another attempt to destroy the universe."

An expression of understanding appeared on Maril's face. "I see you why you want to keep the group small. You don't think there are many here who will go along with the killing of Superman's son."

Helena didn't quite know what to say, luckily for her Maril kept talking. "Don't worry, I trust you. I remember when we were kids and played by the Metrotower. We dreamed of what it would be like to be superheroes and how we would work together. Rex and I understood you would always be the leader of our little triumvirate. You were the wisest of the three of us. I know what kind of proscription against killing your father filled you with, and I know you wouldn't be going against it unless your insight told you this was the only way. I agree with you, the stakes here are too high to keep alive someone with the knowledge and power to destroy everything. I will go with you. Rex will go with you." Helena was glad to have Maril on board, and hoped Rex would come as well, as Maril said.

"I take it you plan on the hellspore blast killing Lash as well as destroying the machine?" Maril asked.

"Yes, I have information on the current state of Apokolips. Above the lair, housing the machine Lash is building a palace and a statue of himself. The statue consists of nothing more then a metal framework at this point. When you set the hellspore I will need you to radio me and give me the time till it will blow. I should be able to trap Lash in the metal just before the hellspore blows. I could leave some Kryptonite by him to further weaken him. I know there is nothing that will hold him forever, but I should be able to wrap him up well enough he will stay put for a minute while I can get myself to safety."

"That really sounds dangerous," Maril said, obviously concerned. "Are you sure you will have enough time?"

"I'm the goddamn Huntress," Helena replied. "I can do it."

"What about Lash himself. Word made it through the grapevine how he subdued Superman in the beginning of the invasion. Apparently Kryptonite doesn't effect him as much."

Helena smiled to try and act supremely confident. "I can find a way to make something that will hold him. Trust me."

Maril still appeared skeptical, but appeared willing to give her friend the benefit of the doubt on it. "I take it time is of the essence. I will go and find Rex. I take it you know the location of a Mother Box?"

"I have an idea on where one is?" Helena answered. "We can take the invisible jet there. Bring Rex up here and then we will head out."

Maril left Helena alone and she quickly whipped out her laptop. In the event they were unsuccessful she had to leave her parents a message on what Lash was planning and what needed to be done. In the event she was successful, she needed to record a good-bye message to them.

She turned her camera on and began speaking into it. She figured everything would be over by the time they got this. "Mom, Dad, I am leaving this message for you as I know you must have some questions about what I did." Helena took a deep breath as she found it difficult to speak calmly. "When I went back to the Fortress, as Dad instructed me, I found a piece of Brainiac that had been left behind. I used the Jor-El computer to find out what they were after and discovered they were after a piece of the anti-life equation. With the last piece they got from the Jor-El computer, Brainiac had the entire formula. He intends to use it to destroy all of creation."

Helena paused for a moment as she collected her thoughts and determined what she wanted to say. "I had a plan for killing Lash and ending all this. I know it's probably not what you two would have done. You may even feel that it is not the kind of thing I was raised to do. I only hope I was successful in stopping him and saving all of you. That is all I am trying to do, save everyone I love."

Helena fought back a tear as she got to the really difficult part of her speech. "If you don't know it yet, my plan is to sacrifice myself and take Lash with me. I know you will be angry with me for doing this, for not consulting you about my plan. I knew you would only stop me, and this is the only way to save everyone. I'm sorry. I can't even imagine how much pain my death will cause you. Mom. . .you always knew this day would come, it's just earlier then you probably expected. Dad, I-" Helena thought about the death of her grandparents, and what that did to her father. She knew her death would affect him in a similar vein. "I don't even know what to say to you, Dad. You'll get through this, somehow, I hope. I'm sorry." She stopped recording. She set it up so the video would be sent to her parents in a message that would go out in several hours. She figured that by the time they got it she would either have succeeded or failed at her mission. If she succeeded, it would explain to them why and how she had sacrificed herself. If she failed it would explain to them what they needed to do to stop Lash.

She just finished putting her computer away when Maril walked in with Rex. "Is everything in order?" she asked her friends.

"I told Richie we were going on a mission. He's in charge of the troops while we are away. He'll take over for us if we die. We shouldn't have to worry about that too much, should we?"

"If everything goes as planned the two of you will make it through this just fine," she said them as she walked out of her room. "Go out to the backyard and wait for me, I need to get something from the Batcave."


	36. Chapter 36: Mother Box

**Chapter 36**

They went their separate ways and Helena re-entered the Batcave through the study. From the top of the stairs she could see Superman in his room. Lois was still awake and checking him. She walked into the room as she figured it was better to tell them something instead of ignoring them.

"How's he doing?" she asked Lois.

"Atom thinks he got all the dust out," Lois answered. "The stuff really tore through him, though. It's going to be a while until he can even get up and walk." Lois looked at her with fear in her eyes. "Do we have a while to wait? Is anything happening now."

Helena tried to act non-chalant as she answered. "Everything is quiet, and there is no reason to believe anything will change. I came down to check on my parents before I head out again. The world is in disarray and somebody has to patrol it."

Lois didn't say anything more to her and Helena took the opportunity to leave. She checked in on her parents and saw they were sound asleep. She sneaked in and walked back to the end of the hospital tent. She moved the heavey equipment she needed to in order to reach the vault. She entered the commands and the vault silently opened. She grabbed the glowing green rock and closed the vault. She hid the rock in the lead compartment on her utility belt. She was taking it just in case there was a need for it.

Helena was going to make a quick getaway, but paused to take a look at her parnets in their hospital bed. The blankets completely covered them accept for their heads and their chests. They looked like they were sleeping in a cocoon that was just starting to open. Her father was lying on his back and her mother was lying right next to him on her stomach. Her forehead was pressed against his cheek. She had her hand resting on her husband's bare chest. Her father had a hand laid on her hand.

Helena had never seen the two of them look so peaceful. The two of them looked idyllic. Her father was old, but looked wise and strong. Her mother looked young and beautiful, but also powerful. A tear came to Helena's eye as she thought about how their peacefulness would be destroyed by her death.

Helena looked at their hands resting on top of one another. She wanted to touch her parents one last time and reached her hand out to momentarily lay it on top of theirs. She stopped her hand an inch from theirs and kept it there, hovering. She was refraining from touching them as she was afraid it might wake them up. Once that happened they would start asking her questions about what she was doing. She knew she wouldn't be able to lie to them forever. Her hand started trembling and she pulled it back and ran out of the tent and up to the yard above.

Helena paused at the top of the hole and looked around the backyard. The Amazons had a fire going as two of them were keeping watch for anything. Helena felt no need whatsoever to say anything to them. She figured they were one group that wouldn't be too upset to see her gone.

"You ready?" Rex asked as he and Maril walked up to her.

"Sure, let's go," she replied. She did her best to sound normal, despite still feeling upset over seeing her parents for the last time. She grabbed the remote control fo the ship and an open door appeared in the sky. Helena jumped inside and Maril and Rex flew in after her. The two of them headed up to the cockpit while she put on the gauntlets and helmet she had left on the ship. She then went up to the cockpit as well.

Helena took her seat at the controls. Maril took the co-pilot seat and Rex took the scanning station. Helena fired up the controls and they were off.

"I have maps of Apokolips in the jet's computer. Link up to it with your wrist computers and download the information. Rex, your job is to locate the prison and get in and find Vunderbar. He should have the information you need for activating the hellspore. Maril, your job is to steal a hellspore from an armory and place it under Vunderbar's lair. After it is set help any slaves that you can get out of the blast area. I'll keep Lash occupied and make sure he is caught in the blast."

She heard each of them punching away on the computer's on their wrists. Neither of them said anything in protest or asked questions. She took this as a sign they were completely on board with her plan. She also took this as a sign neither of suspected what she really planned on doing.

Out of the cockpit window Helena was able to see the lights of Metropolis as they approached. It was a good sign the citizens of the city felt safe enough to turn all their lights on as normal. She wondered if the police or military had any patrols wondering around. Being in the invisible jet they certainly didn't have to worry about being seen and mistaken as an enemy.

"Are we heading to Star Labs?" Rex asked.

"Yes, I know Superman keeps a Mother Box there," she said as steered the jet in that direction. They were at the labs in a matter of seconds. Helena's hopes dropped and the others gasped when they saw the state the lab was in. An entire half of the building was missing.

Helena knew which part of the building the Box was in and that was the half that was missing. All hope was not lost as she knew the thing had been kept in a strong metal vault. There was still hope that it had not been destroyed.

"We need to look for the vault it was in," Helena told her friends as she ran out of the cockpit. They both followed her. "It probably got blown out of the building and there's a chance the Mother Box is okay inside of it."

She jumped out of the jet and Maril and Rex flew by her. Rex had his armor covering his face and she could see the red glow from his eyes, indicating he was using infared vision. Maril had her hands casting a green light to illuminate the ground below her. Helena was using the night vision in her mask.

Helena stayed close to the building to see if it had remained in place. She didn't find anything, but heard Maril shout that she had. She ran over to where she heard Maril's voice and found her and Rex standing over a busted vault. They were both staring at something on the ground. Helena ran up to see a damaged Mother Box lying on the ground.

"Do you think it still works?" Maril asked her.

"Only one way to find out," Helena said as she picked it up and pressed the button to activate it. Nothing happened.

"Is there another one we can use?" Rex asked.

"This was the last working one we had on Earth," Helena answered. "It had been so long since we had any problems with Apokolips that they fell into disuse and became lost. The good news is I know someone who may be able to fix this for us."

They followed her back into the jet and she took off again. She flew them to a small mansion in remote area miles outside of Gotham. When she landed she took note of the lone light on in the place.

"Where are we?" Rex asked.

"The retirement home of an old friend of my father's," she told them as she led them. They walked to the door and Helena entered the code she remembered from the last time her father had brought her here.

"We don't have to worry about spooking whoever's home, do we?" Rex asked.

"She's waiting for us," Helena answered as she walked inside. She headed in the direction she saw the light. She walked into the study of the house to find an old, plump, and short black woman sipping tea in an armchair.

"You're up late, aren't you?" she asked the woman.

The woman took her time to put her tea on the saucer on the table next to her before she answered. "I saw all the excitement on the news and figured my help might be needed. I didn't want someone to have to surprise me in bed. I still haven't gotten the stain out of my carpet from the last time."

Helena smiled at the old woman's wit. "Maril, Rex, this is Amanda Waller; the former head of Cadmus, the former government liaison to the Justice League, and a longtime friend of my father's."

"You don't need to tell me who your friends are," she said to Helena as she stood up from the chair and grabbed her cane. "I've followed the League enough to know who Nightstar and Warhawk are. Now what do you need out of me?"

"We need to know if you can fix this?" she asked as she held up the Mother Box. Amanda had her glasses hanging around her neck and brought them up to her face. She looked over the Mother Box and then gave her assessment.

"It doesn't look too badly damaged. I can't know for sure until we open it up and I see the insides. The way the outside looks I'm guessing it will be fixable." Waller walked into her dining room with the superheroes following her. She opened her china cabinet to reveal it was full of tools. She pulled out a bag without even looking at it.

"Now let's have a look inside that damn thing," she said as she threw the bag of tools on the table. Helena slid it over to her and she screwed the casing so it came apart. She looked at it for a few seconds and made her diagnosis.

"This is fixable," she said. All three supreheroes exhaled the breaths they had been holding in. They were all relieved to know they were going to be able to make it to Apokolips as planned. She pulled out a few more tools so she could start working on it.

"We have some time while I fix this, why don't you tell me why you need to go to Apokolips?" Amanda asked.

Helena sat down in the chair across from the old woman and began repeating everything she had told Maril a short time earlier. She filled the woman in on Superman's son and his alliance with Brainiac and what the two of them had planned with the anti-life equation. While she was talking, Rex was leaning up against the wall, patiently watching Amanda fix the Mother Box. His wife, on the other hand, was nervously walking around the room. Amanda looked up at her a few times, as she appeared to be bothered by her.

"I would be able to fix this better if I wasn't distracted by you walking around in the background," she said to Maril without looking up at her. Maril stopped and had a look of disgust on her face.

"Let's go outside and leave the woman in peace," Rex said to his wife. The two of them left so Waller wouldn't be bothered as she tried to fix the Mother Box.

"You certainly aren't getting any more polite," Helena said to the woman.

"She actually wasn't bothering me at all," Waller admitted. "I just wanted to get them out of the room so I could talk to you about your plan without them present. I know you're planning to sacrifice yourself to kill Superman's son."

"How did. . .how?" Helena was so shocked she couldn't help but stammer.

"I knew your father," she began, "And you are just like him. The two of you don't do anything without a plan, and when you make a plan everything is determined to the smallest detail. When you talked about your plans for wrapping up Lash in the metal frame of his statue and leaving him to die in the blast, you gave very few details. It's easy to know the reason why. Wrapping him up like that isn't your real plan; you were largely making it up on the fly. If I were giving you advice on what to do about Lash I know what I would tell you. The only way to make sure he dies in that blast is to be holding him down when it happens."

"I guess it's good to know you agree with my decision," Helena said to her. She continued to watch the woman repair the Mother Box. Helena was amazed how she didn't miss a beat as she talked to her.

"I know many in your League have had this mistaken belief your father had some kind of suicide impulse. It was closer to what many may call a martyrdom complex, but the best way to describe what your father had was a sacrificial complex. He cared little about his own life if losing it meant he could save others. Your mother never understood why he couldn't change when you were born, but he just didn't have it in him to give up that kind of fight. He always wondered what you would think if he died while you were young. He knew more then any other person how that could effect a young child, of course. If he died in action he hoped you would see the heroism in it. He hoped it would instill a sense of selflessness in you. It seems like you picked up those traits from him."

Helena was once again reminded how much her sacrifice would hurt her parents. Her father had suffered so much seeing his parents die in front of him, now he was going to have to deal with a daughter who had died because of the values he had taught her.

"It will be difficult on your father, but he will understand," Waller told her. Helena instantly felt better. She watched Waller as she put the casing back together on the Mother Box. Helena thought about asking her more questions about what her father would do, but wasn't sure if she would like the answers so she stayed quiet.

"This should work for you now," she said as she stood with less difficulty then she had before. Being useful for a moment seemed to give her some increased energy. "Let's take it outside and I can operate it for you."

Helena followed Waller out the front door. They found Rex outside rubbing Maril's stomach, which he quickly stopped when he saw the two women. Helena knew he was checking with Maril about how she was feeling with the baby. It reminded her once again of what she was going to sacrifice herself for.

Waller fumbled with the controls of the Mother Box. "I'll set this to drop you off in a remote area of Apokolips."

"Set it for Darkseid's old palace," Helena told her. "According to the files I looked through, the place has been abandoned."

"Will do," Amanda replied. She adjusted the knobs on it. She pressed a button and a portal opened up in the sky and a wind started blowing at them.

"Good luck," Waller said to them. Helena didn't hesitate to take the lead and jump through. She landed on the other side on the rocky and uneven ground. She heard a heavy set of boots land next to her and knew it was Rex. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Maril floating above her.

The portal closed and the wind it had been blowing stopped. With the wind gone Helena felt the full force of the dry heat of Apokolips. The area around them was quiet and everything felt eerily still. The red sky was unsettling.

All three superheroes checked the maps of Apokolips they had on their wrist computers. They looked at where they were and where they needed to go. Helena's map showed her she just needed to head straight north to reach Lash's unfinsihed palace.

She felt Rex float up from the ground next to her. She looked back to see both Rex and Maril ready to fly off to their destinations. "So how do we go from here?" Rex asked as she looked down at her.

A smile came across Helena's lips. "You take the high road. I'll take the low road."

Maril and Rex both smiled when they heard what Helena said. Maril continued, "And we'll catch the villain-"

"Before you do," Rex finished for his wife. They all got a quick laugh over repeating that bit from their childhood. The joy quickly disappeared as they remembered what they had to do. They all looked at each other for a few more seconds before Maril and Rex flew off in their separate directions.

Helena whispered good-bye to them as they flew away. She hopped over to the road nearby to look at what was ahead for her. The road north was empty and she ran at full speed up it.


	37. Chapter 37: Apokolips

**Chapter 37**

Olivia sat by her brother's bedside, waiting for any sign he was about to wake. She had relieved her mother so she could get some decent sleep in a bed for a few hours. Olivia was fighting to stay awake as she wanted to be alert in case Connor made any sounds or movement.

He had taken a good pounding during the fight. He was rendered unconscious when a robot picked him up and threw him to the ground. Olivia had seen the whole thing and feared the worst. She had been shocked to find him alive when she reached him. Richie had stayed near her during the fight and saw her tending to her brother. He took Connor to a nearby transport so he could be treated and brought here.

Olivia looked over all the monitors registering Connor's vital signs. They were slowly improving, which was good. She put her hand around his arm so she could see how he felt herself. His arm was warm and she could feel the blood flowing through it.

Olivia felt a twitch in his arm and thought she heard a moan out of him. Olivia got excited that her touch was helping to revive him. "I'm here," she said to him. She squeezed his arm tighter so he would be sure to feel it. The thought occurred to her it might be better if she held his hand. She moved her hand down to meet his and clasped it as she felt something hard in his hand.

She grabbed the object in his hand and pulled it out to take a look. It was hard to see in the faint light, but she could definitely tell it was Helena's engagement ring. Richie had told her earlier about the mission Helena, Maril, and Rex undertook. Olivia started trembling as she looked at the ring because she knew exactly what it meant. Olivia knew Helena and she knew she wouldn't have broken off the engagement by giving him his ring back when he was unconscious. She also knew Helena was confident enough in herself that she wouldn't give him back the ring in case she didn't make it. There was only one reason she would have given him the ring back; Helena knew she wasn't coming back because she was planning on dying in some kind of suicide mission.

Olivia's thoughts turned away from her brother and to Helena. Olivia didn't know why exactly Helena believed she had to send herself on a suicide mission, but she knew the girl couldn't be right. She had always been stubborn and had obviously lied to Rex and Maril about what she really had planned. Olivia couldn't let her go on and sacrifice herself. She had to be stopped and the only people who could do that were her parents.

Olivia stood up and stumbled around as she found her legs weak. She told herself she had to get a hold of herself if she was going to save her future sister-in-law. She gained her balance and ran to the study where she knew the entrance to the Batcave was. She had no idea how to open the door to it, but thought about using her scream to bust into it. She reconsidered when she realized even under the circumstances it might be a bad idea to simply destroy the entrance and maybe even bring down half the Manor.

She knew Richie had knowledge of an outside entrance to the cave and pulled out her com and contacted her husband. "I need to get into the Batcave," she said to him.

"Do you really think its wise to bother them," Richie answered. "According to Maril, the three of them are injured and don't need disturbances."

"I think they will want to know what I have to tell them," Olivia said to her.

There was silence on Richie's end. "Meet me in the back and I'll take you down."

Olivia ran out to the backyard and met her husband as he flew down from above. "What do you have to tell them?" he asked.

"You can find out when the others do," she said to him. "Just show me how to get in there."

He led her to a small garden of bushes. He pushed a few aside to reveal a hole in the ground. Olivia jumped through it and landed in the middle of the Batcave by the Batmobile. Her husband followed her and hovered above her when he came through the hole.

Olivia saw Wonder Woman and Batman sleeping together in a hospital bed. Her presence seemed to rouse them and they looked at her with quizzical expressions on their faces. Wonder Woman seemed annoyed and pulled the sheets around her body as she didn't appear to have any clothes on underneath them.

Olivia couldn't worry about their modesty. Any annoyance they had would disappear when they heard what she had to say. She walked up to their hospital bed so she could get right to the point.

"What are you doing here?" Bruce asked. "Where's Helena?"

"She's on a suicide mission," Olivia said to Batman as she held out the engagement ring. "She gave this to my unconscious brother." Olivia knew Helena's father would immediately know what it meant.

He grabbed it from Olivia and inspected it to make sure it was hers. "What kind of mission is she on?" he asked in earnestness.

"She found out Lash and Brainiac have plans to use the anti-life equation to destroy all of creation. She went to Apokolips with Maril and Rex to stop them."

Bruce threw the blankets off him and sat up. He appeared woozy when he did so and had to pause for a second. His wife appeared puzzled as she hadn't yet grasped what her daughter was up to.

"What do you think Helena is up to, Bruce?" she asked her husband.

"She has a plan for stopping them that involves sacrificing herself," he answered.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Bruce held up the engagement ring. "She gave this back to Connor. You know your daughter. You know she would only do that if she knew she was not coming back. She's too confident to think she might die on this mission. She plans on dying on this mission."

A look of fear and sadness came over her face as she realized the truth behind what they were saying. "We can't let her do that," she said as she jumped off the bed. She stumbled a little and Olivia ran over and grabbed her to help her walk. Olivia noticed the discoloration in her skin and could feel the weakness in her body. She couldn't see any obvious wounds so she didn't know what happened to the woman, but given her normal strength she knew she had to have suffered some serious injuries.

Wonder Woman took a few more steps and Olivia could feel her getting stronger. Batman jumped off the hospital bed and was fine walking under his own power. They all saw Superman walking out of the room where he had been receiving his treatment. He didn't look in the best shape either; he had to lean against the cave wall. Even at half strength he was stronger then a lot of other superheroes.

"I'm coming with you," he said. There were no objections from anyone.

Helena ran for several miles without coming across any enemy forces. She saw a gunship or fighter flying around above, but none of them took notice of her. She was beginning to think she might have an easy path when she came over a hill and was immediately met by two large tanks shaped like dogs.

She didn't want to wait for them to make the first move so she ran straight to them. They both breathed fire at her and she rolled underneath it as she pulled out her crossbow. When she righted herself, she fired two arrows with sharp blades at the neck of the closest tank. One arrow sliced through each side of the neck.

Lasers emerged from the sides of the tanks and started firing at her. She jumped up alongside one and fired more arrows that sliced through the front and back of the neck. She jumped up and grabbed the tank at the cut she put in it. The tank she was on had no weapons that could reach her and she was blocked from the view of the second tank.

She dug her feet into the cut she made and pulled the head off the tank. When she did so she revealed herself to the second tank and it fired flames at her. She held the head in front of her to shield herself and she could see the metal of the head melting along with the metal of the exposed neck. Helena jumped out from behind the head and did not receive any attention as they were not prepared for this move. She jumped on the tank's back and slid down it a little. She used her momentum to leap in the air and over to the back of the second tank. She ripped open the hatch and peaked inside at the parademons driving it. She saw them pull out their sidearms and moved back from the hatch as they fired at her. She dropped several gas pellets inside it and waited for them to be smoked out. When they each emerged from the hatch she punched them in the face and threw them off the tank.

Helena jumped into the driver's seat and looked over the controls. She was unbothered by the smoke and quickly got a handle on the controls. She activated the weapons and fired them all at the first tank. It was completely destroyed and in flames in a matter of seconds.

Helena turned the tank around and drove it up the road in the direction of Lash's palace.

Maril flew low over the desolate wasteland that was Apokolips. According to her computer, she was heading for the armory of a warlord who had been defeated by Lash almost a year ago. Most of his weapons and vehicles had been seized by Lash, but he left the hellspores behind as there was little use for them.

The land she flew over was devoid of life, but full of wrecked vehicles and broken weapons. The skeletons of dead parademons dotted the landscape as well. It appeared as though it had been a long time since anyone living had been over this land. It made Maril wonder if she would face any forces in this armory.

Maril spotted the rock formation that served as the entrance to the armory and flew to it. There was a large cave entrance and she landed in front of it. She tried to look inside, but couldn't see much. She took a few steps closer to it and was immediately surprised by two huge dogs running out to greet her. They weren't exactly friendly and she flew up to avoid them.

Their masters who were riding their backs pulled on their harnesses and made them stop. For a few minutes Maril and the dogs and their masters eyed each other. The dogs eyeing her had large guns strapped to them and their masters activated them and started firing at Maril.

Maril flew around, dodging their blasts the best she could. She fired her beams at them. She tried to take out their weapons, but couldn't get off any good shots. Some of their blasts got close to her and she had to devote her full attention to dodging the blasts they sent her way.

She noticed the number of blasts decreasing and wondered what was happening. Before she could see what was happening one of the dogs was right in front of her. It had flown up to meet her with the aid of rockets attached to its side. Maril had no time to react before it opened its mouth and close it on her.

She found herself in complete darkness. The dog was trying to use its tongue to push her back towards its throat. Maril pushed back in retaliation and was able to keep herself out of the animal's throat. She lit a fire with her hand so she could see and found herself staring straight down its throat. She fired a few blasts down it and was met with a howl of pain from the animal. When it howled it opened its mouth and Maril flew out. The dog thrashed around so much it threw off it master and with its master gone the rockets shut off and it fell back to the ground.

The dog still on the ground was watching its friend fall. It ignored its master as he tried to keep their weapons pointed at Maril. Maril saw an opening and rushed down to the ground. She landed on the dog's back and punched the rider, knocking him unconscious.

The dog looked back at her and appeared to show no sign of wanting anything to do with her. Maril flew through the cave entrance and found herself in a room full of hellspores. She detached one from the wall and flew out with it, heading for an opening to the underground tunnels of Apokolips.

Rex watched the prison guards from a perch high up on a mountain overlooking the entrance. The two of them were paying little attention to anything around them. This was exactly what Rex had expected.

Rex felt he was back on Thanagar, attacking a Gordanian prison that was holding Thanagarian resistance fighters. He had led many assaults of that type and he witnessed the lackadaisical attitudes of many a prison guard. He knew just what to do to take advantage of their inattentiveness and get the jump on them.

Rex waited until he was sure they were not looking at him and flew across to the mountain on the other side. He jumped down the mountain until he was at the lowest ledge that overlooked the canyon. He carefully peaked over the edge and saw the prison guards checking at the mountains around them. Their backs were turned to him and he dropped down to the ground. They took notice of him and moved to fire their guns at him. Before they could do so he charged at them. He grabbed the gun of the nearest guard while he kicked him to the ground. He fired at the other guard and then turned the gun on the one he kicked to the ground.

Rex turned to check out the door and saw a thick steel door in front of him. He knew he couldn't pound through it. Instead, he would have to use an old trick he learned during his time as a resistance fighter. He would have to use the energy packs from the blasters to build a small IED. He pulled out the multi-purpose tool he carried on him at all times and went to work.


	38. Chapter 38: Pursuit

**Chapter 38**

Bruce looked through every file directory on the Batcomputer. He was searching in vain to find any files on Apokolips Helena might have added to the computer. According to Richie, she had found out Lash and Brainiac's plan by having the Jor-El computer scan a piece of Brainiac that had been left behind. Richie had not been told much beyond the basics about what the plan was. Richie had flown Clark and Diana to the Fortress in a Tamaranean ship to see what was in its computer databases. Bruce couldn't wait for them to come back, though. He wanted to know what his daughter was up to right now and he was hoping the files she got out of Brainiac had been downloaded to the Batcomputer. They might reveal what she was up to.

Bruce found nothing on the computer and his blood started to boil over his failure. He felt responsible for what Helena was doing as he knew he was the one who had led her down this path. He lost control of the anger he was feeling and started punching out the controls of the computer. He greatly overextended himself and felt winded and tired. He collapsed on one knee as he caught his breath and started whimpering as he fought back tears.

Bruce felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. They rubbed them to try and comfort him. He felt the person kneel down next to him. "You're going to find a way to stop her," he heard Lois say. "Clark and Diana are going to find out what she is up to. You guys are going to be able to track her down. The three of you never fail."

Bruce wanted to yell at Lois that she was wrong. His daughter never failed, either. He didn't get the chance to answer Lois as they were interrupted by Olivia. "Richie has had his communication officers do everything they could to try and contact Maril and Rex. They are getting no reply. It is likely they are already in Apokolips."

Bruce didn't want to look weak in front of the others. He composed himself and stood. The Batcomputer alerted them to an incoming message. Bruce brought it up and Diana appeared on the screen.

"We know exactly where she is headed," Diana said. Clark appeared on the screen behind her. "We found a current map of Apokolips and it had the location of the doomsday machine. It is in Vunderbar's lair. If we can make it to Apokolips we can head there and stop Helena."

"There's only one Mother Box left on Earth, and I'm sure Helena found it," Bruce said.

"Helena probably left it behind," Diana told him. "She would have known if she failed, someone else would need to use it."

"Meet me at Star Labs," Bruce told her. "I can fly there in the Batwing."

Diana and Clark disappeared from view as Bruce shut down the feed. Bruce had to lean against the console as he had little strength. "Are you going to be able to make it there?" Lois asked him.

"I'll fly him there," Olivia replied.

Helena chugged along in the tank. On the road she had come across several work crews. She fired a couple warning shots to get them to move off the road and passed them as they watched the rogue tank in bewilderment. The news of the runaway tank was apparently getting around and a couple of gunships were flying alongside her. As long as they didn't bother her she had no intentions of bothering them.

She continued on the road and soon saw the metal frame of the Lash statue rising on the horizon. As she continued, the unfinished palace came into view as well. As she rolled right up to the construction zone she saw Lash flying around and directing the slaves that composed his construction crews. As she approached, he took notice of her and the gunships flying around her. He hovered above the ground and floated in her direction. The tank had a periscope and Helena looked at Lash through it. She could see him squint his eyes at her, and she knew he was using his X-ray vision to see who was inside the tank. She saw his face change and a look of recognition came over it.

"You're that little whelp I fought in the Fortress," he yelled at her. He was seething with anger at her and it was evident in his voice.

Helena looked around at all the slaves who were fixated by the staring contest Lash was having with the tank. By coming alone to face him, Helena was presenting him with a challenge. He was going to have to defeat her all alone in order to keep the fear factor he used to rule over his slaves. He was going to have to prove something to them with his confrontation with her.

"Come out, coward, face me," Lash yelled at her. "I'll kill you, eat your heart."

Helena continued observing him through the periscope. As she looked at him she thought of her father and everything he had taught her. He gave her the kind of training almost no other superhero had been given. He tried to prepare her for anything. She wondered if when he trained her he ever foresaw her doing something like this. She wondered if he ever saw her facing someone like Lash.

"Come on," Lash shouted at her. "You're boring me."

Helena pushed the periscope out of the way and prepared herself mentally for what she was about to do. Once she felt ready she grabbed a hold of the gun controls around her and used them to shoot herself out of the tank. The second she was free of the tank she was met by Lash as he flew and grabbed her. He flew to the ground in an attempt to pile drive her into it. She freed herself and leaped the great distance to the palace. The slaves all around her were running out of the way and seeking safety. She ducked into the palace to buy some time until Maril got the hellspore set.

Maril encountered no one as she flew over the desolate landscape of the defeated warlord's abandoned land. She found the entrance to the underground tunnels unguarded. She flew through it with the hellspore. She kept one hand on the bomb while with the other she lit a fire so she could see as she traveled through the tunnels.

Rex had his IED constructed. He mixed some dirt with his saliva to make mud and used the sticky substance to adhere the bomb to the door. He had a wire running out of the bomb attached to one of the gun triggers. He stood off to the side and pressed the trigger. The lock of the door blew off and Rex threw it open.

He ran through the door and through the complex to where he guessed the cells would be. He came across a few guards and knocked them all out. He ran into the main room to find a lone cell occupied by Vunderbar.

"I'll never do what you want me to do," Vunderbar immediately yelled at him.

Rex walked up to his cell so he could calmly talk to the imprisoned warlord. "I know you are attacking me like that because you're stuck thinking of me as your enemy. But you might want to look at your current situation and think about what is happening. You are imprisoned by a super-powered being who rules over your world. I broke into this prison for a reason. Now, you should be thinking I broke into this prison to get your help for defeating the warlord who imprisoned you."

Vundervar thought over what Rex said. "What do you need?" he asked.

"I need the protocols for activating a hellspore," Rex said to him. Vunderbar told him everything he needed to know.

"Maril, hon," he said into his comlink. "I have the information you need."

"Good, I just placed the hellspore under Vunderbar's lair."

"What are doing," Vunderbar shouted at him. "Are you going to destroy my lair? You said you were going after Lash. You lied to me."

Rex walked away so Vunderbar's tirade wouldn't bother him as he talked to his wife. He relayed all the information to Maril and she activated the bomb.

Helena stayed still in the palace. She knew Lash could use his x-ray vision and his super hearing to find where she was. He likely knew where she was and was thinking of the best way to attack her. She was willing to wait for him to make the first move.

She heard Maril's voice over her comlink. "I have the hellspore in place," Maril said to her. "I have the timer set for ten minutes and I'm starting it. . .now."

When she heard Maril say she started the bomb's countdown, Helena started her own countdown in her head so she would know exactly how much time she had. _600. . .599. . .598. . ._

Bruce stayed silent as Olivia flew the Batwing. He couldn't stop thinking about how hopeless his situation was. Even if they did make it to Apokolips, none of them were in much of a condition to do anything. Finding Helena wasn't going to be easy, and they were going to contend with the whole army of Apokolips there.

Bruce felt the Batwing slow down and knew they were getting close to Metropolis. When the vehicle finally stopped he looked up and was shocked to find S.T.A.R. labs nearly destroyed. He jumped out of the Batwing right as the Thanagarian ship with the others landed.

Diana and Clark exited and immediately started looking for the Mother Box. It didn't take Clark long to announce he found something. Bruce ran over to where he was and found the vault that had been holding the Boom Tube. It was on the ground and busted open.

"It looks like it got blown out of the building when it was hit and opened up from the force of the impact when it hit the ground," Bruce informed the other two. There was no sign of the Mother Box. "The kids must have found the Box. If it was broken they would have taken it somewhere to get fixed. I know just where Helena would take it."

Bruce ran off without saying anything to anyone. He could hear and feel Olivia following him back to the Batwing. She jumped in right after him. He punched into the computer the coordinates she needed to fly to. She took off. Bruce didn't need to look back to know the others were right on their tail.

_585. . .584. . .583. . ._as Helena kept the countdown going in her head she started thinking about the message she had left her parents. Given the time they lost in order to repair the Mother Box, her parents would end up receiving the message before everything was over. It would be of little consequence as her parents would be unable to get here in time to stop her. Everything was set in motion and there was no turning back.

_570_. . .Lash came crashing through the wall and Helena was just barely able to roll out of his reach. She ran out of the room they were in fully expecting Lash to follow her. As she turned into the hallway he came crashing through the wall and she used his momentum to toss him through a couple more walls of the palace.

_560_. . .Helena ran through the holes Lash put in the walls and punched him right as he was righting himself. He went through a few more walls and emerged outside. Helena ran after him and jumped outside as he took off from the ground and started hovering above her.

_550_. . ._549. . .548. . ._Lash floated around as the two sized up each other. The area around them was bare as all of the slaves had abandoned the area. "You can walk away if you want to," Lash yelled at her. "I don't know what you think you are going to do to me."

_540. . .539. . ._Helena was glad that Brainiac was not able to figure out what she might be up to. She hated having to wait for him to make the first move in a situation like this. Being unable to fly while he could was a severe limitation for her.

_531. . .530_. . .Lash feinted in her direction and Helena responded to the expected attack that didn't come. Lash laughed at her. He made another feint and Helena once again moved back in response. He made another feint and Helena reacted once again. Lash kept a big grin on his face to indicate he was just taunting her, but Helena figured Brainiac was feeding him fight strategy. He was making these faints to try and figure out how she was responding to these attacks. She kept doing the same thing as she tried to think about how he would attack her.

_500 . . .499_. . .Helena had been watching him to see what he did when he feinted. As she watched him she saw the grin disappear on his face as it was replaced by a look of seriousness. She knew it meant he was about to attack her. When he lunged at her she figured he would anticipate her moving back and lunge for that spot. She countered this by rolling forward. He flew at her with such speed he couldn't stop himself and he drove himself into the ground.

_474. . .473_. . .Helena flipped over and landed in front of Lash. As he lifted his head up she punched him in the face a couple times. Instead of counterattacking he flew back and then right at her again. She tried to sidestep him, but she wasn't quick enough and he was able to wrap an arm around her waist. Together they flew towards the wall of the unfinished palace. Lash stopped just before they reached it so instead of flying through the wall they merely hit it. Lash landed two punches on Helena's face before she kicked him back.

_460. . .459. . ._Lash lunged at her again and she rolled along the wall out of his way. One of his punches had bent the metal on her helmet around her eye hole and she took it off and threw it away so she would have clear sight. Lash moved laterally to try and hit her, but she backed away and then kicked him into the palace.

_447_. . .Helena didn't follow Lash. Instead she jumped on top of the palace and started running towards the metal outline of the statue. She knew Lash would use his x-ray vision to find her and then come after her.

_434. . .433. . .432. . ._Helena could feel the vibrations as Lash flew through the walls beneath her to get to her. She made a quick halt and leaped back as he crashed through the roof and flew up into the sky.

_428. . .427. . ._Lash once again hovered above her. This time he didn't focus his attention so much on her as he did the palace, or what was left of it. The two of them had done a pretty good job of destroying the structure so that there wasn't much left standing. Helena wondered how angry he was about that and how much that might be fueling him now. If Lash was angry that was actually good for her. The angrier he was the more he would fight on emotion and the less he would listen to the rationality of Brainiac.

_410. . .409. . ._Helena was surprised when Lash calmly landed on the roof about twenty feet away from her. He suddenly appeared fuzzy to her and Helena knew instantly he was vibrating. She knew his plan was to get the unstable palace structure to vibrate until it collapsed. Helena thought about just simply running off the building and not playing his game, but she was afraid that might take her further away from the statue she hoped to use to trap him. She instead charged right at him, hoping to disrupt his plans to bring down the palace.

_400. . ._Helena could feel the palace vibrating as she ran up to him. Before she was even close he flew off and landed on another part of the palace. He increased the rate of his vibrations and it caused the palace to shake as if it was caught in an earthquake. Helena knew if she went after him again he would just avoid her the same way he had before. She now realized her best bet was to get off the palace and she ran full speed ahead to the edge.

_389. . .388. . ._The palace was shaking so much she had to concentrate as much as she could on running merely to keep from falling over. Because of that she didn't notice when Lash charged right at her. Before she could do anything he picked her up and threw her down on the palace roof. As he did this he tore her utility belt off her. When she hit the roof the palace collapsed as she plunged to the ground. She found herself buried under a huge pile of rubble weighing several tons.


	39. Chapter 39: Sacrifice

**Chapter 39**

Maril flew around firing warning shots at any slaves or parademons she came across. They were all easily spooked as they knew their master was fighting a superhero and they were unclear who was in Apokolips. They were afraid Maril was part of a larger force that had come after them.

After giving her the information she needed to arm the hellspore, Rex had told her he was on his way to help her evacuate the blast area of the hellspore. Maril was relatively certain he would be able to make it to her without too much trouble. Most of her concern was directed at Helena as she had the huge task of keeping Lash occupied and trapped in the blast area just before the hellspore was set to blow.

As Maril thought about Helena she wondered if she should run off and help her friend. She thought better of it, as she knew she was needed to clear the slaves out of the area. If Helena believed she could handle Lash on her own, then she could handle Lash on her own. Maril heard a sound that could have only been the collapse of a building. She looked in the direction the sound came from and thought about flying over there to see what was happening. She knew it had something to do with Helena's fight with Lash and thought the girl might need some help. She stayed put as she figured she had to trust her friend.

As Bruce and the others flew to Amanda Waller's he hoped he was correct about where Helena would go to get the Mother Box fixed. Amanda was one of the few people who could fix it discreetly for them. Helena would not have gone to someone who would let the whole world know they were headed to Apokolips.

The computer in the Batwing notified him he had an incoming message. He figured it was a message from Lois updating him on what she was able to find out from the Jor-El computer files that had been transferred to the Batcomputer. He wasn't completely surprised when he saw it was a message from Helena that had been sent on delay. She knew if she failed others would have to go after Lash and Brainiac. He figured this was a message about that.

The moment Bruce brought the message up and Helena's face appeared, he could see the pain in her eyes. He made sure the sound went through the communicator in his ear so Olivia couldn't hear it. As she talked he sensed the sadness in her voice. She explained what Lash and Brainiac were up to and what needed to be done to stop them. She then explained why she was sacrificing herself and how sorry she was she had to do so. Bruce teared up as she said good-bye to him, but fought them back to keep his focus on what he was doing.

Bruce was glad to have the message from his daughter as it gave him confirmation she was doing what he thought she was doing. He knew she would have originally timed the message to be received by him right after she had planned on dying. Having to fix the Mother Box would have thrown off the timing, meaning they still had a chance to find her and stop her. As they approached Amanda Waller's mansion he hoped they would still have a chance to save her.

_300. . .299. . .298. . .297. . ._The pain Helena felt was unbearable. When the building had collapsed on her, the feeling of utter failure filled her mind. Lash had buried her under a ton of rock and it was unlikely she was going to be able to get out of this in time to hold Lash down. When the hellspore blew it would kill her while Lash would be able to fly out to safety. She was going to die and it was all going to be in vain. She kept the countdown going in her head so she would know how long she had until she felt the sweet relief of death.

She had wondered if Lash would actually stay around. She thought back to the Fortress when she had seen him make the extra effort to kill Superman himself. Lash was likely still around, waiting for some confirmation she was not getting out of her predicament.

When Helena had been buried she thought she would pass out of suffocation before the hellspore blew. To her surprise, the weight of debris wasn't quite enough to keep her diaphragm from moving. Her breaths were weak, but they were strong enough to keep her conscious.

Helena was ready to give up and accept her fate. As she laid under the pile of debris, she thought about everything her father had taught her. As a young girl, before she had gone to live with him, she had always been amazed at the respect her father had among the more powerful superheroes of the League. Many of them could do so much more then her father could, yet they looked up to him and were in awe of him. It took her a long time to understand they were in awe of him because everything he did he did because of sheer determination. He often faced and dealt with pain they would never experience, and they respected him for what he put himself through.

When she started fighting by his side she saw this determination. There were so many times where the sheer force of his will carried them to victory. While it was true her father would have easily been crushed by the ton of rock Helena now found herself buried under, she couldn't let herself see that as an excuse to quit. For her, getting out from under the debris was no more an impossibility then some of the things she had seen her father do. After two minutes on the bottom of the debris, Helena had convinced herself she could get out and went about doing so.

_258. . .257. . ._Helena moved her arms so she could push herself up. She did so with all her strength and could feel and hear the rocks shifting around her as she lifted everything that was pushing against her back. She gritted her teeth and roared as she placed her feet against the ground.

_246. . .245. . ._Helena stood as the rocks poured down all around her. She lifted one of her feet and let the rocks fall and form a stable floor where it had been. She pushed her foot down on the rocks and then pushed herself up through the next level of debris. The rocks cut at her skin, but she was invulnerable enough that they didn't break it.

_200. . .199. . ._As Helena pushed herself through the debris it became easier with each step as there were fewer and fewer rocks to push out of the way.

_180. . .179. . ._After pushing through a few layers of rock Helena felt so exhausted she wasn't sure if she could go any further. She told herself she couldn't be far from the top. She had no idea if she was close or not, but she had to tell herself whatever she needed in order to keep herself moving.

_170. . ._She pushed herself up and could see a hint of daylight making its way through the space between the rocks. She became heartened and knew she could make it the last few feet to daylight.

_165. .._Helena started flailing her arms around and was able to push away some of the rocks above her. She took a few more steps and burst out of the pile and collapsed on top of it. She laid down and caught her breath. She realized for the first time she had lost her cape while pushing herself through the rocks.

_150. . ._She knew Lash was around as she heard footsteps coming to her. She was so exhausted and beat she couldn't even lift her head to see if it was truly him.

_140. . .139. . .138. . ._Lash clapped in perfect time with the clock still running in her head. "Very impressive," he said to her. "I'm actually glad you made it out of there. I'm not done having my fun."

_129. . .128. . ._Helena wanted to stand and fight, but her muscles had no energy for her to do so. She looked around the best she could for her utility belt. There was no sign of it. There was no hope to find the Kryptonite and use it. She was going to have to go through with the plan to hold him down and sacrifice herself.

_121. . .120_. . . Lash picked her up and punched her in the stomach. Helena had the wind knocked out of her and gasped for breath. Lash grabbed her, stood her up, and gave her a swift uppercut. She flew up in the air and fell down hard on the pile of rocks.

_112. . .111. . .110. . ._Helena was beginning to become despondent. She had fought her way out of the debris pile only to find herself too weak and exhausted to take any actions against Lash. If she didn't do something soon the hellspore would blow while Lash was free to escape.

_105. . .104. . ._She heard Lash running towards her swiftly and she knew immediately what was coming. He kicked her in the ribs so hard she could hear them crack. The kick sent her flying through the air. She saw she was heading towards the metal frame of the statue and she pulled out her crossbow from the harness on her boot. As she flew through the frame she fired her grappling hook at one of the beams and it caught it. As the rope went taunt she stopped and swung back to the ground. She let go at the low point of her swing and fell to the ground.

_99. . .98. . ._Helena tried to summon her strength so she might be able to stand. She started finding some reserves of energy and was able to get to her feet, although she was wobbly. She staggered around a little and then leaned up against one of the metal beams to help her keep her balance.

_89. . .88. . ._She wondered if she would have to go and find Lash, but he floated over to where she was. He brought himself down in front of her. For a while he watched her as she tried to stand.

_80. . .79. . ._ "You're tougher then you look," he said to her. "I could use a queen in my new empire, in case you're interested."

_69. . .68_. . . "I would rather fuck a goat then share a bed with you," she said to him. She tried to yell in disgust, but she didn't quite have the voice for it. She said it softly, but knew with his hearing he could make out everything just fine.

_62. . .61_. . .She could see the anger come over his face. She was surprised he was holding himself back and not rushing right at her. She felt she had to up the ante some more. She aimed her crossbow at him as she thought of a certain arrow. She fired it at him and before he could grab it the arrowhead blew and hit him with a sonic boom. His nose started bleeding from the force of it.

_56. . .55. . ._Lash charged at her and knocked the crossbow out of her hand. He tried to make a jab at her, but she jumped up out of the way. She grabbed on to a beam that ran parallel to the ground. She twisted the metal around her arms so it would be hard for Lash to pull her off the metal frame that was anchored to the ground.

_54. . .53. . ._"I can't understand why you came here," he said to her as he looked up at her. "Did you really think you would get out of here alive?"

_51. . .50. . ._Lash flew up and punched her at close range. She took the punch, but wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed with all her might. "What made you think I ever planned on getting out of here alive?" she snarled at him.

_47. . .46. . ._ A pure look of terror came across Lash's face as he tried to fly away. He couldn't move as Helena was able to hold him tight. Instead of pulling himself out of her hold he merely pulled the metal frame a few feet.

_41. . .40. . ._Lash stopped his attempt as he seemed puzzled at what Helena was doing. He looked thoughtful for a moment and Helena guessed Brainiac was telling him something. She wondered if the computer had found out what she was up to and told him about it. Lash stared at the ground and Helena just knew he was using his x-ray vision. She knew he saw the bomb when he looked back at her with sheer horror on his face.

_36. . .35. . ._He tried to fly away laterally with all the force he could muster. Helena had to summon all her strength, but she kept her legs wrapped around him. Once again the force of his flight started pulling the metal frame of the statue.

_31. . .30. . ._Helena saw Lash staring at one end of the beams on the ground and could feel heat coming from him. She looked down and saw one of the beams starting to melt and knew he was using his heat vision to do so.

_27. . .26. . ._She unwrapped one of her arms from the metal beam and grabbed his chin and pushed it up so all he could do was stare at the sky. When she did this it put all the pressure on the one arm still wrapped around the metal beam. She howled in pain as she could feel her shoulder being pulled out of its socket.

_20 . . .19. . ._Lash grabbed at the arm holding up his head and tried to pull it off him. Helena summoned even more strength and held her arm steady. She kept her legs wrapped tightly with the little bit of strength she wasn't using to keep her arm in place. She gritted her teeth as the pain from her arm being ripped away from her body became even worse.

_15. . .14. . ._Helena was in unbearable pain. She was tiring by the second and wondering if she could last the short while until the bomb went off. Lash's feral instincts took over and he started punching her in the face with everything he could muster.

_12. . ._Lash had pulled on the frame of the statue so hard he jutted up against the other side of it. He stopped flying laterally and started flying straight up in the air. As he did so he began pulling the metal frame out of the ground.

_11. . ._Helena could hear the sounds of the frame being pulled out of the ground. She figured the statue would stay put long enough. She wondered if she would last though. The pain and exhaustion she was experiencing now was easily a hundred times greater then anything she had ever experienced before. She found comfort in the fact it would all be over for her in a matter of seconds.

Olivia brought the Batwing down on the front lawn of Amanda Waller's retirement mansion as the sun rose. He saw the Tamaranean ship land on the lawn next to his vehicle. He jumped out of the Batwing and ran to the house without waiting for anyone else. He didn't want to waist time talking and he didn't feel like telling his wife about the video he had received from Helena.

Bruce entered the entry code for the front door and ran through. "Amanda," he screamed out as he ran through each room of the house. The others were slowly following after him. He guessed they were a bit puzzled by what he was doing.

He found Waller in the dining room. She had a plate of scrambled eggs in front of her and was sipping her coffee. It seemed like a placid and normal morning to her, except for the Mother Box that was lying on the table to her side.

Bruce wasted no time in talking to Waller. He simply grabbed the Mother Box off the table and started working the controls.

"Do you even know where she is, Bruce?" Waller asked her.

"Tell me," he yelled at the old woman.

"I knew you would come and I entered the coordinates you need to go to. If you changed them just reset everything."

Bruce did as he was told and opened the portal. Wind started blowing through the room. Without saying anything to each other, they all ran through the open portal.

_6. ._ _.5. . ._A sense of pride came over Helena as she realized she was going to succeed. Lash was gradually pulling the frame out of the ground, but it wouldn't be enough in time. Helena still had pain shooting through the arm wrapped around the beam. She was almost out of energy, but she had just enough to carry her these final few seconds.

_4. ._ _.3. . ._Helena was fully prepared to die, but she had an idea that might give her a slight chance to survive.

_2. ._ _._With the last bit of strength Helena could muster she rolled Lash over so he was under her and in position to shield her from the coming blast.

_1. ._ _._As the bomb blew Helena found herself engulfed by fire and thrown up in the air.

Maril and Rex flew around as they saw the last of the slaves running out of the blast sight. The area around them was deserted and they were able to hover undisturbed.

"It's almost time," Maril said to her husband.

"Where was Helena supposed to be when this was all over?" her husband asked her.

"She was supposed to trap Lash in the metal frame of an unfinished statue and then run to safety. I'm not sure where."

Rex flew up higher and looked in the direction of the statue. His Thanagarian genes gave him great distance vision. She knew he would probably be able to see Lash caught in his trap.

"Maril," he screamed as he looked down at her. "Helena is-" He was unable to finish his sentence as the exploding hellspore hurled them away.

Clark, Diana, Bruce, Olivia, and Richie exited the portal to find themselves a good distance from the frame of the statue where everything was happening. Bruce started running towards the statue. After just a few steps Clark grabbed him and started flying away. Bruce heard the hellspore blow and saw Diana and Richie holding Olivia all following them as they flew away from the blast. Bruce almost lost his mind as he thought about how he had failed and his daughter was now dead.

When the force of the blast had washed over them Superman landed and dropped Bruce on the ground. The heat from the newly formed firepit was intense, but not unbearable for him. It was nothing compared to the pain he was feeling over the loss of Helena. He knelt on the ground and began to cry. It was the exact same pose he had taken several decades earlier when he knelt over the bodies of his dead parents.

He felt Diana's arm wrap around him from behind. She could feel her body agains his back and could hear her whimpers as she started crying. He found her arm and started rubbing it. For once in his life he wasn't thinking about any danger that might be around them.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Clark fly up and hover above the ground. He knew their friend was scanning the area for any sign of their daughter. He also knew it was completely hopeless.

"Diana, Bruce," he yelled down at them. "Get up here."

Diana knew exactly what Clark meant and grabbed Bruce and flew up to meet him. Richie followed with Olivia. Clark didn't say anything to them. He led them over the destroyed land to a pile of debris where even Bruce with his old eyes was able to see the body of his daughter in the middle of it.

Diana had them on the ground in front of the pile in a flash. Superman didn't follow them and they didn't see where he disappeared to. Diana dropped Bruce and she immediately started throwing the debris off their daughter's body, along with Richie's help. Bruce stood by as he was powerless to lift anything in the pile. As Diana lifted the last bit of debris off her body, Bruce rushed over and lifted Helena up and cradled her body. He almost had a heart attack when he heard her groan.

He started trembling as he knelt to the ground with her so he could rest her body on his knee. Diana was standing over them, watching and wiping tears away from her eyes. Bruce looked his daughter up and down. She was bruised and burned all over her body. Her face was covered with blood that had come out of her mouth and nose. Her right arm had been stretched out and yanked away from her body, although it was still attached by the skin. The metal beam that her arm had been wrapped in had melted and adhered to her.

Bruce heard her groan again. "I'm here, Helena," he yelled at her. He had no idea how loud his voice was as his hearing had been dampened by the explosion. "It's your father."

Bruce's heart leapt in his chest as his daughter tilted her head in the direction of his voice. He had her head resting on his arm and was trying to support it in much the same direction he had when she was an infant. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. He could see her try to form a smile, but she was too weak to do it.

Diana knelt down next to Bruce and cradled her daughter's head in her arms. Richie and Olivia moved back so the family could have a private moment. When Helena felt her mother's hands on her she looked back at her mother. Diana smiled back at her before Helena had to close her eyes again and rest her head closer to her father's chest. Diana pushed several strands of bloody hair out of her daughter's face.

"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry," she groaned.

"Don't be," Bruce said as he held his sobs back. "We are so proud of what you did."

She opened her eyes to look at him again. "Do you. . .know. . .if Lash-"

"You did it, Helena," they heard Superman yell to them. They looked up and saw Clark hovering over them with the body of his dead son in his arms. His body looked broken and his skin was charred. He was clearly dead.

Helena tried to lift her head and look, but she didn't have the strength to do it. Diana helped her so she could see the body. "You did it," she told her daughter. "You stopped him and saved us all."

This time Helena found the strength to smile for a couple of seconds. Diana laid her head back down on her father's arm.

Superman flew away and left the Waynes alone. He flew towards a large group of slaves he had seen earlier. He threw his son's body in the middle of the group. "This is your dead leader," he yelled at them. "Let it be known to every warlord on this miserable planet the throne is there's for the taking. Go and find your next master," he declared to them.

Superman hovered over them to see what they would do. His attention to them was diverted by the presence of Nightstar and Warhawk. The two of them looked disheveled and despondent. "Do you know what happened to Helena?" Nightstar asked him.

Bruce could feel the breaths of his daughter getting weaker. Diana was able to feel her body losing its temperature. They both realized they were experiencing the last moments of their daughter's life.

Helena opened her eyes and looked up at her father's face. "I'm glad I had these last few moments with you," she said to them. "Before I left, I had come to see you one last time. I had wanted to hold your hands, to feel them one last time."

Diana and Bruce both knew what she was asking of them. Bruce pulled out the hand that had been lying under her body. Diana removed the gauntlet. Bruce grabbed his daughter's hand. Diana did likewise.

"Thank you," Helena said as she made her last smile. "I love you."

Helena closed her eyes and Bruce could see the few unburned patches of skin she had turning blue. Diana continued stroking her daughter's cheek and forehead with her free hand. Bruce could see their daughter take her last breath. They both felt the life go out of her body through the hand they were holding. Diana leaned down and kissed Helena on the forehead. Helena stayed motionless and Diana knew she was dead.

Their crying increased as Bruce pulled his daughter's body closer to him. Bruce felt the presence of others around them and opened his eyes to see the blurry outline of Clark, Rex, Maril, Richie, and Olivia. He wiped the tears from his eyes to get a better look at them. Clark's face was stolid and emotionless. The faces of the children were filled with outright shock. Maril and Olivia started crying and embraced their husbands as they buried their faces in their chests.

Bruce noticed that Diana had stood up and was slowly walking away from him. Most of her tears were gone and he could tell she was thinking about something. "I always loved you, Bruce," she said as she took off and flew away. None of the others said anything to her or made an attempt to follow her. Bruce knew exactly what she was up to, though.

He stood up and thrust his daughter's body at Clark. "Take care of her, please" he said to his old friend. He ran after his wife. Superman simply watched his old friend run away, puzzled by what he might be doing.

Diana walked through the hell that was Tartus. The place bore a remarkable resemblance to Apokolips, the place she had just come from. Walls of fire flamed all around, giving off an intense heat which was hard to bare. She noticed little of the heat as she had only one thing on her mind at the moment.

Tartus was filled with demons and other minions of Hades. They all ignored her and ran out of her way when they saw her marching through. They had learned long ago not to even confront her when she was in a good mood, and she clearly was not in one at the moment.

She reached the doors to Hades' chamber and the guards dropped their pitchforks down to block her path. She charged at the one on the right and picked him up and threw him at the one on the left. The two of them went flying and hit the far wall.

Diana walked through the door and up to the hedonistic Hades as he sat on his sofa. He was flanked by two servants, with each one fanning him with a large palm leaf. He had a table next to him that was filled with food and wine. He was always eating despite his immense size.

"You really should treat my guards better, Diana," he said to her while shoving grapes in his mouth. "It's so hard to find good ones."

"There won't be anything permanently wrong with them," Diana snarled at him. "I'm here to make a deal with you."

"Straight and to the point," Hades replied to her. "That's the one thing I always liked about you."

"A while back you made a deal with Ares where if he killed my daughter you would bring her back in exchange for my soul. I need to know if that deal is still available."

Hades took a long time to answer her. He took a couple bites of an apple and a few sips of wine. Diana had no choice but to wait patiently. Hades got a thrill over leaving her hanging for a long time. When he finally began talking, he did so in a nasally voice with an annoyed tone. "Yeah, I think I saw something on the ticker about your daughter's death. You should know her soul is not my property. I don't know what-"

"I know you have connections and can have souls sent back to Earth," she yelled at him.

"Yeah, that's true. I guess. But I would have to owe someone a favor in exchange. And I would need a high price for doing that. I know I made that deal with Ares, but I did it so I would have the fun of Ares playing games with your family and all that. I've gotten to see you squirm enough recently. That's placated me in a lot of ways. I'm not that interested in having your soul right now. You're going to have to come up with a better offer if-"

The voice of Bruce interrupted them. "What about two souls for Helena's return to Earth," he said.

"Bruce," Diana said as she turned around in shock at the presence of him.

"Batman, now this is interesting," Hades said in wonder.

"How did you get here?" Diana asked her husband.

"I'm the goddamn Batman," he replied. He walked over to her and the two embraced.

"Two thirds of the triumvirate of the Justice League," Hades said to himself. "Now that's a trophy I can't easily pass. I'm willing, if the two of you truly want this deal."

Diana and Bruce stared at each other. "I have nothing to go back to," Bruce said.

"I could never live with myself if I passed on this," she replied.

A sly smile crossed the lips of Hades. "It is settled then. I am now bound to send your daughter back."

Bruce and Diana kissed one last time, before Hades snapped his fingers and their bodies were turned to dust.


	40. Chapter 40: Epilogue

**Chapter 40**

Helena awoke as the rays of the sun worked their way into the room through the drapes and hit her eyes. She blinked a couple times as her eyes adjusted to the light. She remained on her back as she rubbed her eyes with her left hand.

Helena was getting mentally restless as she had been hold up in this room for two days. She was in Clark's old room in his Smallville farmhouse. It remained unchanged from when he had used it as a teenager.

The room was full of his high school trophies as well as pictures from his school days. Over the past two days Helena had gotten to know every detail of the pictures and trophies. It was weird thinking the photos were all fifty years old, yet Clark looked like he had only aged ten since they were taken.

After Helena was revived, Superman had brought her here so she would be far away from everything. Lois was brought out soon after that. The Kent's were the only ones who knew she was here along with Rex, Maril, Olivia, and Richie. She knew a cover story had been constructed for the rest of the League, but had no idea what it was. She was happy to be out here where she would not have to face anyone.

While Hades had revived her, he did not exactly heal her. Lois had brought out the clay from Themyscira and for the last two days had been treating her. Most of her body healed up quickly. The one thing that proved difficult to treat was the metal beam that had melted to her skin. Lois had been applying the clay to the edges of where it had annealed to her arm. As the skin healed it pushed off the metal beam.

Helena rolled over and took a look at her right arm. The beam was still wrapped around it, but it didn't look or feel like it was still annealed to the skin. Helena grabbed it and worked it off her arm; it fell to the ground with a clang. She felt relieved that the last vestige of what happened to her was gone. She smiled for the first time since she had come out here.

She heard a knock on the door and knew it was Lois, despite the fact she did not announce herself. Lois had been the one taking care of her for the past two days. She had yet to see Clark since he had brought her here and she had told him how she came back. She had asked Lois why Clark was apparently avoiding her and she told her it was because they thought Helena needed her privacy as she healed.

"You can come in," she said to Lois. Lois opened the door and looked cheerful as always.

"How is your health today?" she asked.

"I actually feel fine today," she said to the old woman as she inspected her right arm. There were still marks where the metal had been attached to the skin, but it was nothing that couldn't heal on its own. Helena was getting tired of the smell and the feel of the damn clay.

"Do you want me to bring your breakfast up here?" she asked.

Helena had eaten all her meals in bed and really felt like being able to sit at a table and eat. She had no idea where Clark was, though, and didn't feel like talking to him at the moment. She thought about it for a second and wanted so much to get out of that bed she didn't care if she would have to see Clark after all.

"Yeah, I think I'll come down. I can't stand it up here any more."

Lois smiled at her, pleased the girl was feeling better. "Maril and Rex brought some clothes for you. They're just in the two suitcases in the corner." Helena looked in the direction Lois was pointing and finally noticed the two large pieces of luggage.

"I haven't cooked your breakfast yet," Lois told her. "So there's no rush to come down. I'll be sure to make a fresh pot of coffee for you." Lois left and closed the door behind her.

Helena threw the covers off of her and grabbed a suitcase and threw it on the bed. She opened it and smiled as she saw a pair of farmer overall's on the top of the suitcase. It was a good sign that Maril was still willing to have some fun with her.

She put the clothes on and headed downstairs. She braced herself for finding Clark down there, but he was nowhere to be seen when she reached the foot of the stairs. Lois noticed her as she worked over the stove.

"I got a mug out for you," she told her. "The coffee's ready."

Helena grabbed the mug and poured herself a cup. "Where's Superman?" she asked.

"He's out on the tractor plowing a couple of the far fields," she answered. "He wanted you to know he isn't doing anything critical. He has time to talk if you need to ask him anything."

"I didn't know he was interested in conversing with me," she said as she went to the dining room window to have a look out at the farm. It was unremarkable, the same way she remembered it from the few times her parents had drug her out here.

"I know it might seem like Clark was avoiding you, but he felt like you needed to heal physically. Now that your body is healed, there may be some other things you can patch up."

Helena had always seen herself as mentally strong, just like her father. She felt weak when Lois acknowledged she would need some help getting through this. It was almost worse that Lois seemed so perky when she talked.

For the past two days she had dreaded talking to anyone. She was afraid of being confronted in anger for what she did. In her mind, she saw everyone wanting to tear her apart for having the gall to plan what she did alone. Everyone was going to point out to her what they could have done if they had teamed together.

What she really feared was the blame she was going to receive for the loss of her parents. She knew she would get no explicit blame. After all, she had never thought they would do what they did. There was nothing anyone could say to her that would make her feel worse then she already was. She felt that with every look she would get there would be accusations of what she had cost the world.

"If you squeeze that mug any more, it's going to crack," she heard Lois say. Helena looked down and saw that she had been holding it so tightly she actually had put a tiny crack in it. It wasn't bad enough for anything to leak out, but Helena rushed to pour it in another mug before it could.

"Sorry," she said as she grabbed another mug out of the cupboard.

"It's just a mug," Lois reminded her.

Helena still felt guilty, though it had to do little with the mug. She had been prepared to die, but she hadn't been prepared to come back and have to live with the knowledge she had cost her parents their lives. Over the past few days she had started trembling whenever she thought about the situation too much. She found herself doing it again and put the coffee down and braced herself so she could get it better under control. She was starting to hyperventilate so she tried to get that under control as well.

"Just concentrate on breathing at a normal rate, everything else will take care of itself," she heard Lois say.

Helena did as Lois told her and instantly felt better. As Lois noticed the girl's improvement she explained why she knew what to do.

"I used to get panic attacks a lot when I first started at the Planet," she exclaimed. "Working on the deadlines I had was extremely stressful. I would hyperventilate a lot. I found if I just concentrated enough I could get everything under control."

"So once you got adjusted to the Planet the attacks stopped?"

"Mostly, I have to admit I had a few when Clark died."

Helena's mood wasn't helped by the mention of Clark's death. When Helena had heard the story of his death and how her mother couldn't help because of her birth, she had felt somewhat responsible. She had never told anyone, and was somewhat astonished no one had ever figured it out.

It suddenly hit Helena that Superman had been through some of the same things. He had died and come back as well. "Is that why you wanted me to talk to him, ask him about what it's like to come back from death?"

"Well, that was one thing," she said with a shrug. She laid on the table the eggs and bacon she had cooked for the girl. Helena saw her breakfast was done and sat down at the place that had been set for her.

Helena started playing around with the food instead of eating it. Lois started washing the dishes in the kitchen sink. "Maril has been sending a ton of messages over the last few days," she said. "There's a datapad on the table if you want to read any of them."

Helena looked up at the datapad and then right back at her uneaten breakfast. She had no idea what Maril would be saying to her and wasn't in a rush to find out as she was afraid it might be bad. She thought Maril couldn't be too upset with what she did if she brought some of her clothes over for her.

"So Rex and Maril came over here?" Helena asked Lois.

"Yes, they came over here to see how you were." She looked up from the dishes she was washing to talk to Helena. "When they saw you were asleep they just wanted to let you rest and they headed back to the Manor."

When Lois mentioned the Manor, Helena was reminded of how many injured were back there. She knew Maril was probably keeping vigil by her father's bedside. She also thought of Connor. She was wondering if he was conscious and if so, if he knew what was happening.

"How is everyone at the Manor, do you know?" she asked Lois.

"From what they said last night no one is getting worse. Dick has been awake for a day now. The twins won't leave him alone. Connor still hasn't woken, though. Maril made sure to single him out."

Helena started eating slowly as she thought about Connor. Since he was unconscious for this entire time there was a good chance that what happened would not have to change anything between them. He could be the one person she could pick right up with, but Helena knew things couldn't happen that way.

"They were hopeful you could come back to the Manor," Lois added. "They thought you might be more comfortable there. Clark thinks it might be best for you to stay out here, though. We think it would be better for you to stay away from everything for a while."

Helena knew her father had told Superman to take care of her before he took off for Tartus. She wondered how much they were keeping her around just because they felt they owed it to her parents. She was going to bring it up with Lois, but thought better of it.

Helena walked along the old dirt road that led out of Smallville. She was not worried about anyone recognizing her, as no one would expect an heiress like Helena Wayne to be out in the middle of nowhere like she was. Lois had said Clark was out on the edge of their property plowing the fields. She was on her way to talk to him.

After almost a mile she saw his tractor running over the dirt field. She called to him, knowing he would easily hear. He stopped the tractor and flew over to her. She knew no one else must have been around because Superman would only have done that if they were alone.

"Your wife said I should talk to you," Helena began.

"I hope you aren't out here just because she told you to come out here," he replied.

"No, I thought there might be some advice you could give me."

Clark lowered himself to the ground. "Do you mind walking a little?" he asked her.

"Uh, yeah, sure," she replied as she wondered where Clark might take her.

Clark started walking and Helena followed. They walked in silence until Clark said something.

"I feel nothing over Lash's death," he said. "I just wanted to start out with that. He was nothing to me. You did the right thing there. There was no other way to assure the universe would survive."

Helena was shocked he would start out like that, but it was welcome news to her. She hadn't really doubted he would be upset over the death of his son. He had made it clear before everything went down that what happened to Lash was of no concern of his. All that was even before Lash had tried to kill him.

There was more silence between them. "I take it you have more planned?" she asked him

Clark started talking without making any reference to her question. "When your parents found out what you had planned, they were distraught. Your father blamed himself, as he knew he was the one who had led you down the path to do what you did. You were always set to be a superhero given your lineage, but it was your father's tutelage which led you to take on your self-appointed mission practically alone. You took after your father when you planned your mission with no input from anyone."

"That's why I feel so responsible for what happened to them," she said as she choked up. "If I had been willing to trust others more we could have done something as a team. Maybe I wouldn't have had to sacrifice myself and then, of course, my parents wouldn't have had to make their sacrifice."

"You can't dwell on those kinds of things," he said. "You didn't mean for it to happen. You have to try and tell yourself that. If you're anything like me, it won't help much. I know that well. I was the one who killed my sister."  
"But you were brainwashed," Helena reminded him.

"And you never intended your parents to exchange their lives for yours. You didn't even know they would be able to do that."

Superman didn't need to tell her any more to drive his point home further. He felt culpable for his sister's death no matter how much he didn't want it. It was the same thing with Helena.

"How long until you were able to convince yourself you were not responsible?" she asked him.

"I'll let you know when I reach that point," he replied. His answer was depressing, but she was thankful he was being honest with her.

"There was more to it then just the fact I killed her," he said without prompting. "I never really told too many people about my mother's death. You know a little about her, don't you?" he asked.

"I know she was suffering from parasites on Krypton and came here to gain strength so she might be able to live longer. She escaped Krypton just as it was destroyed and didn't know she was pregnant with you until she reached here. She settled down with your stepfather and married him, and then years later had your sister before she died."

"That's most of it," he said. "She died just a few days after giving birth to my sister. Right before she died, she told me to train my sister the way she had trained me. She made me promise to watch out for my sister and protect her. When I killed my sister I broke the promise I had made to my mother."

Helena was surprised she had never heard this. Superman had never been seen as the one to keep and hold secrets from everyone. She instantly felt like he had it much worse then she did.

"It wasn't just the promise I made that hurt. With my mother, the power she got from the sun here did much to cure her. She never had the power to be a superhero, but she could have lived a good, long life. Her pregnancy changed all that. Just like with humans, the pregnancy diminished her immune system. The parasite infection came back more intense then ever. My sister cost my mother her life, but she wouldn't have had it any other way. She loved her children so much she thought nothing of losing her life for them."

The two of them walked over the rare hill and Helena saw he had led them to a cemetery. He opened the gate and led her through the rows of tombstones. He stopped in front of the Kent plots. Helena looked at the tombstone and focused on the date of death for Laura Kent. It was a mere two days after the date of birth listed for Kara that was on the tombstone next to hers.

"Your parents are the same as my mother," Clark continued. "They would have thought nothing about giving their lives for yours. I'm sure your father preferred it to growing weak and withering away."

What Superman was saying was actually making her feel better. She knew shee may never get over the guilt that if she had done things differently her parents would still be alive. What Clark told her reminded her of the choices they all made as superheroes and the choices her mom and dad made as parents. The sacrifice they made for her was something they did willingly, and it was a choice they most likely gladly undertook.

When Helena made it back to the house she found Maril talking to Lois. They both stopped talking when Helena entered the house. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything," she said as she entered.

"I was just telling Lois some of the antics the twins have been up to the last few days. With their parents preoccupied they think they can get away with anything. Richie and Olivia are trying to keep them in line and are failing miserably. The twins have no idea what they're in for when my father is well enough to discipline them."

Helena was glad to see Maril was jovial. It meant there was no bad news from the Manor she was bringing. It also meant she couldn't have been too mad at Helena over everything.

"I'll leave the two of you alone to talk," Lois said as she moved to head upstairs.

"Don't worry about it," Helena interjected. "We can talk outside. I would prefer it."

Maril followed Helena outside and the two walked in silence for a while before either one of them spoke. "I'm sorry," Helena began.

"About what?" Maril asked. She sounded truly surprised that Helena had anything to apologize about.

"Keeping from you what I had planned. Not having enough faith in you to do anything more then what I told you."

Maril was truly amused by what Helena told her. "You didn't do anything that I wouldn't do. You should see sometime how I make decisions as a queen. I packed up the army and came here without consulting anyone."

In an instant any fears Helena had that there relationship was going to be different were erased. The two of them had a bond that could withstand almost anything. It would take a lot to disrupt that.

"Have the Gordanians done anything?" Helena asked.

"They rushed a force to Thanagar to try and take advantage, but they got their asses handed to them by Shayera and John."

Helena was glad to hear the two old warriors still had some fight left in them. "What about the Manor?" Helena asked. "How is everyone doing there?"  
"Most of the people have been moved out of there. We are trying to clear it out so you can go back there soon. We haven't rushed anyone out, though. I know you are mainly asking about Connor, and he woke up last night. He is in good condition and has been asking about you. We told him everything as none of us wanted to lie to him. I hope you don't mind."

"I'm not exactly in any condition to complain about not being consulted on something."

Maril stopped as she noticed something in Helena's voice. "You don't sound like you are in a rush to see him."

Helena found it difficult to look at Maril. "I know the timing might be horrible, but in my death I realized I don't love Connor like I should. I can't marry him."

"Connor will understand," Maril said. "He's tough. We're all tough."

The two of them had been walking aimlessly. They found themselves in front of an Oak tree that was familiar. "This looks a lot like that old Oak tree we used to play on that was by the Metrotower. It's not on a hill, of course," Maril pointed out.

The two of them stared at it, mesmerized. "Back then we thought everything was going to be so easy. I wonder what we would have thought about our future if we had known how hard everything would be."

"We haven't shied away from anything difficult as we've grown. I don't think our attitude as children would have been any different."

"I think you're right," Helena paused for a moment as she thought about the lives they had envisioned for themselves as children. "I remember we always saw ourselves fighting alongside our parents. I never thought we would be on our own so early in our careers."

"I think this battle has finally pushed my father into permanent retirement," Maril said.

"There is no such thing as retirement for superheroes," Helena reminded her.

"He wants you to know you can talk to him about your father anytime you want," Maril told her.

"I think going back to the Manor might do some good," Helena said. "I don't want the Kents to think I'm taking off on them too quickly. I'll head back first thing tomorrow."

"I will go back and start preparing the place for your return," Maril informed her. They embraced and then Maril flew off.

Helena flew back to the Manor in the invisible jet with Maril flying it. She insisted on flying her back as she wanted Helena to do as little as possible. She wouldn't even let Helena carry her suitcases inside when they reached the Manor.

She opened the door to find all her friends gathered in the foyer to welcome her. A large 'Welcome Home" banner hung across the stairs. She looked over everyone gathered: Richie, Olivia, Rex, Connor, Theodore, Dick, Barbara, and the twins.

She hugged everyone while Connor stayed back. They all quickly found an excuse to take them away so Connor could be left alone with Helena. He looked to be in good shape and the minute they were alone he rushed up and kissed her. Helena kissed him back as she didn't know what else to do.

"I can't believe what happened," he said. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"Okay," she replied. She started feeling horrible as she thought about what she had to tell him.

From the way Connor acted he had picked up on this. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

She turned her back to him as she couldn't bear to face him. She knew the best thing to do was to say what was on her mind and get everything over as plainly and as simply as possible. "I don't love you like I should," she told him.

She couldn't see the expression on his face and was wondering what he was thinking. "What do you mean by that?" he asked her.

She decided to just go ahead and tell him the whole story. "When I died, I had a million thoughts about everything I was going to miss about my life. I thought about my parents and how they would have to live without me. I thought about Rex and Maril and how I was not going to live to see their children. I thought little of you, though. I thought little about the life I would miss out by not marrying you."

Helena could feel the emotions practically emanating from Connor. "I guess you knew that before you left and that's why you gave me the ring back," he said, the anger in his voice was obvious. "Thanks for letting me know you don't care about me," he said as she heard him walk away. Helena cried silently to herself for several minutes before she headed to her room.

Helena grew restless in her room and walked out to look around the Manor some. The upper floors of the Manor were abandoned, so she had peace and quiet. She headed down to the second floor and walked into her parents' room. She looked around and ruffled through their stuff. They had just gotten back together recently and were supposed to spend the last years of her father's life with each other. There was so much they were supposed to do that they were never going to get to do.

Helena couldn't take being in their room anymore and walked out. She saw Dick at the end of the hallway taking down the 'Welcome Home' banner and decided to talk to him. As she walked up to him she noticed for the first time how old the banner looked.

"That thing looks ancient," she said to him.

"It is ancient," Dick replied. "Bruce had this out for me the first time I came to the Manor."

"That was decades ago," Helena exclaimed. "And I can't believe he didn't just simply meet you with a handshake."

Dick had a laugh over her joke. "Your father wasn't quite the social know-nothing you might believe he was. He studied human behavior and at least knew the protocols for most situations, even if he didn't feel anything."

Helena smiled weakly. She was glad Dick had no ill feelings towards her. She was wondering what he was thinking at the moment.

Dick picked up on her feelings and answered them. "Its no secret he took me in because he had the desire for a child," Dick said. "You may not know he thought he would never have his own. He was always convinced he would die before he got the chance or he would never find anyone who could put up with him."

"My mother certainly had her troubles putting up with him, even though she did marry him."

"You were always the greatest and most unexpected thing to happen to him," Dick told her. "I think he always knew he was going to sacrifice himself for you, one way or another. Don't feel guilty about what happened. Your father would not have wanted to go out any other way."

Everyone else had been telling her the same thing, but coming from her surrogate brother it carried more meaning. Helena embraced him. "Thanks, I needed that," she told him.

Helena didn't do much the rest of the day. She ate by herself and continued to look through her parents' stuff, wondering what she was going to do with it. When she finally went to bed she found herself unable to sleep. She couldn't help thinking about having to go on with her life without her parents.

Helena never heard Maril come into her bedroom; she just felt her crawl into bed with her. Maril put her arms around Helena and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you, Helena," she said to the girl. "I will be here for you, always."

Maril provided Helena with the comfort she needed to finally fall asleep.

Helena flew out to Themyscira when she knew it would be night. She didn't want too many of the Amazons to be awake when she talked to her grandmother. She knew her grandmother was a night owl and would likely still be up.

Helena landed the invisible jet by the palace. She hesitantly walked into the palace and looked for the queen. She couldn't find her in her study or bedroom. Helena had a thought and headed to her mother's bedroom.

She found the queen lying on Diana's bed. Helena couldn't tell if she was awake or asleep. She suddenly became too fearful to talk to the queen and started to walk away.

"Helena?" she heard her grandmother yell from the room. Helena stopped in her tracks and looked back. When she turned around her grandmother rushed towards her and embraced her.

Helena started crying into her shoulder as she apologized to her. "I'm sorry," she said to her.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Hippolyta said to her. "She died in order to save you, it was a proud death."

"But I cost you-"

"I got to spend more time with my daughter then anyone else," she reminded her granddaughter. "I don't want to waste any time I'm going to get with you."

The two of them stood in their embrace for a long time. Helena could feel someone else walk in on them, but they didn't say anything. Hippolyta finally noticed them.

"I think you have someone else who wants to talk to you," she said as they broke their embrace. Helena turned to see Artemis waiting to talk to her. Hippolyta left them alone.

"I suppose you came to tell me how much I cost you guys. Or have you come to tell me you will never accept me as your heir."

"I have come to do the exact opposite," Artemis said, to her surprise. "You have to remember that all the Amazons here forged a bond that came from fighting alongside each other. It was hard for us to accept you when you had never been baptized by fire like we had. That has all changed with what you did. You have shown a type of bravery that few of us possess. I am here to tell you that if the situation arises, we would all be proud to have you as our queen, your highness."

Artemis ended her statement with a kneeling bow before Helena. Helena was so moved by what the Amazon said she was trembling.

The funerals for Batman and Wonder Woman were very moving for Helena. An empty casket for her father had been led in procession through Gotham before it was flown to the Circle of the Fallen in Metropolis. Wonder Woman was given a procession through Metropolis as that was the de-facto superhero capital.

The public had never been told the way the two of them died. Knowing they had fallen defending the world during the invasion was enough for everyone. Helena knew they would be remembered as heroes no matter what.

Clark had demanded that the shrines for Batman and Wonder Woman be built in the center of the circle. He felt it was the only way to honor the special place they occupied among the League. No one even thought about objecting to it.

To Helena, it seemed as though the whole world came out for their funerals. She knew if her parents could see their funerals, they would feel honored by the adoration the public gave them.

In contrast to the funerals for their superhero personas, Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince were buried in a single, small ceremony. For once, the paparazzi showed some class by avoiding the funeral of one of the world's wealthiest and most notorious playboys. Helena had a tombstone constructed that was nearly identical to the one for her grandparents that was adjacent to it.

When all the funerals and memorials were over, Rex and Maril decided they would have to head back to Tamaran. A royal transport landed outside the Manor to take them home.

"You are going to have to visit us often on Tamaran," Maril said to Helena as they embraced for the last good-bye. "I want my child to get to know his Aunt Helena."

"I was wondering when you were going to tell me," Helena said to her.

"Damn," Maril said as she broke the embrace. "I thought I had come up with the perfect way to surprise you. I should have known there was nothing I could keep from the World's Greatest Detective."

Helena thought nothing of the promotion Maril had given her. It was a good sign she was accepting her parent's death. Maril and Rex said their final good-bye's to the Grayson's before they entered their ship and took off.

"I didn't want to say this in front of Maril," Dick began as he took her aside. "If you ever want to visit her don't hesitate to contact me and have me fill in for you. I don't have to give up the superhero life entirely."

"Actually you should," Richie said after overhearing everything. "Let us know and Olivia and I will pull double duty for a week or so."

"You're worse then my father was," she told Dick with a laugh.

The Batcave felt eerily quiet as Helena put on her suit. She paused as she grabbed her helmet and inspected it. The Amazons had made a new one that was identical to the old one.

As Helena held it in her hands and inspected it, she thought back to the night she had received the original from her parents. Instead of crying over their loss, she smiled as she remembered that night and how proud of her they had been. She put the helmet on headed for the Batwing.

Helena stood on the top of Wayne Tower and overlooked Gotham. The city was her sole responsibility now. She owed it to her father to carry on the promise he made to her grandparents. She only hoped her father would be remembered, as he was the one who had done so much to keep Gotham from falling apart.

Helena saw the Batsignal shining in the sky and smiled. As long as symbols like that stayed around Batman would always be remembered. She called on the Batwing so she could fly over and answer the call.

The End


End file.
